Not That Ring, The Other One Ring
by leafgreenflower
Summary: Chat Noir needs a fake ring like, but not like, his Miraculous, and he can't be caught buying it himself. So he seeks help... Main story COMPLETE. Two bonus chapters are now up (Let's Not Talk About Friday and How it was put together).
1. Would You Buy Me A Ring?

**So. This little story began as an idea in my head about a conversation between Chat Noir and Marinette... and then someone else pointed out that there was a much better probability of success if they were involved. Which sent my little bit of Marichat fluff in an unexpected direction...**

* * *

It had been a particularly bad day at school. She stumbled over saying "Hello" to Adrien. Sabrina tripped her over into a puddle. Chloe's taunts had been sharper than usual. The math test had been all right - she was good enough at it that she could pass even when she had to fight akumas in her study period - but the Geography test had been just _awful_. She'd been too tired to notice that the north arrow wasn't pointing to the top of the map. Marinette lay back on her bed and sighed. Maybe she could skip homework for tonight. And have a nap before bedtime

There was a tap on her window, and two glowing green eyes peered in.

All right, no nap. Fine.

She put on her "talking to a superhero? Gosh, me?" face and unlatched the window.

"Hey, Princess." Chat Noir sounded... almost cautious. She knew him well enough by now to know that he'd turned up with a purpose.

"Chat Noir! Is there an akuma? Do you need something?" It was nice that she didn't have to overdo the fangirling any more, but sometimes she was tempted. Her partner was such a dork. And overacting *was* Marinette's specialty, a little voice said in her head, sounding suspiciously like Alya. Or was that overREacting? Anyway.

"Actually, I wanted to ask for your help with something", he said. "Can we talk?"

"Sure, let me climb up". Partner he might be, but there was NO WAY he was seeing the inside of her room if she could avoid it.

The night was warm enough, just. She was comfortable leaning on the railing, looking out at the lights. He perched himself on the railing next to her. "I... have this problem", he said quietly. "You know how Hawkmoth is always asking for our Miraculouses?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know what they are?"

She suppressed a grin in favour of her big-eyed face again. "Nooo? Why would I?" It was easy to sound stumbly and confused. She had practice.

"They're, well, they're magical jewellery that we wear, Ladybug and I, and Hawkmoth too I guess. It's where our power comes from."

 _I bet your kwami would say something different_ , she thought to herself, but hid that grin too. Instead she asked "Why are you telling me?".

"Well, uh, I think someone in my civilian life has noticed my Miraculous and got suspicious. So I need, well, I need a fake. But I can't buy it myself as a civilian in case they realise I've switched rings. Soooo... I was wondering if, well, I know you know a lot about design and style and stuff..."

She looked at him and raised her eyebrows. "Are you saying you want me to buy you a ring?"

"NONONONO!" he almost shouted, blushing. "No! Well, um, yes, um, I was going to but that sounds bad, no, maybe this was a bad idea".

The look of panic on his face cracked her up, and this time she let the laughter out. After a moment he relaxed, still blushing a little, hand coming up to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"It's OK, Chat", she said, reaching out and putting one hand over his. She knew her tactile partner would calm down a little faster if he was touched.

"I've got an idea", she said. "There's this guy in my class at school. Max. The guy who built Robustus. He's pretty good at researching stuff, he's smart and he does a lot of odd things just because he's, well, he's Max. He could buy a guy's ring without anyone thinking it was weird."

"Do you think he'd tell anyone?"

"I doubt it. If there's anyone who would understand the change in probabilities that it would cause, it's him."


	2. Fractals

Max was easy enough for Marinette to find the next day at break time. She sat down next to him and peered over his shoulder at the book he was reading. "What's it about, Max?"

"Fractals", he said simply. Then he looked up. "Oh, hi, Marinette. Would you prefer I showed you visually?"

Without waiting for an answer, he flipped back a few pages to a set of coloured images. Marinette felt herself getting lost in the designs. They were so intricate, and the closer you looked the more intricate they became.

"That's the beauty of fractals", Max said. "Each bit of them is a smaller or larger copy of the original, which makes these kind of designs look the same at every scale". He seemed to have followed her thoughts from watching her eyes.

Marinette pulled out a piece of paper – one that a certain cat had drawn carefully on the night before. "I was wondering if I could get you to do me a favour", she said. "Or rather, not me. A friend of mine".

"A male friend, judging by the ring".

"Well, yeah. He wants a ring that looks basically like this, and he can't be seen buying it himself. And I can't exactly go shopping for a guy's ring without people noticing", Marinette said dryly.

Max looked carefully at the piece of paper. "You are correct in that assumption, I'm sure", he said with a smile. "I don't really understand why there should be a fuss, but I am quite certain that there would be". He traced one of the pencil lines with his finger. "How close a match does the ring need to be?"

"It needs to be similar enough that anyone glancing at it wouldn't notice a difference at all, and anyone who looked closely wouldn't be sure if it was the same ring they'd seen before or not."

Max hummed. "That's tricky", he said. "I am never quite sure how much detail people will really notice, though it's always less than I think they would". He tapped the paper, thinking. "Is it OK if it's an exact match?"

Marinette and Chat had talked about this. An exact fake might draw suspicion, but it would be easy enough to take off and give to someone who was curious. However they didn't want Max to get hung up on trying to match the ring too exactly in case his enquiries drew notice.

"He thinks it's OK, but not important enough to focus on", she said finally. She crossed her fingers that this was a level of nuance Max could absorb, and watched his face. Eventually he nodded. "I think I can do that", he said. "Shall I begin looking now?"

"Whenever suits you", Marinette smiled. "I don't want to keep you from your book".

"Now is fine", he said. "I assume Chat Noir would like this sooner rather than later."

Marinette took a quick breath. "I didn't say who it was for".

"You didn't have to. I've seen Chat Noir's ring. It looks like, but not quite like, this one, which fit the given parameters. Including the one about not being able to purchase it himself".

Marinette paused, then laughed. "I should have guessed you'd work that out", she smiled. "He can give you the money to buy it with, if you know how much you need. Can he get in touch with you?"

Max looked down at his book. "Maybe he could text me?"

"Sure. I'll give him your number."


	3. I've Seen You Up Close

That night, Chat Noir landed silently on a certain rooftop, taking care to approach from a direction in which the waiting boy would see him arrive.

"Thank you for coming up to meet me, Max", he said gently. Max was still somewhat of an unknown to Adrien, but he'd gleaned the basics of interacting with him by his classmates' example. It helped that it wasn't too unlike the way he had to speak with his father.

"It's fine", Max said, and held out a small box.

"You bought it already?"

"It seemed a useful precaution, and I had an opportunity this afternoon", Max replied. "This way you can check if it is suitable, and I can exchange it tomorrow if not. I photographed three other rings that might also be suitable if you wish to look at them, but I believe this one is the best for your purpose".

Chat Noir's eyes widened. He knew Max could be efficient, but he didn't expect this kind of efficiency from anyone who wasn't Nathalie. He took the box, and opened it.

The ring inside was perfect. It was almost identical to his untransformed Miraculous – the same shape and design, but the weight, proportion and balance were just a little different. His father had a good eye for such things, but this ring would - _should-_ pass inspection.

"It's great, Max. I'm surprised that you matched it so well from just a sketch", he said.

"It took some extra time, Adrien, but it was necessary. I presumed that the person most likely to have noticed your ring's similarities was your father, which meant the details were more important than if you were trying to fool someone like Kim. So I looked more carefully at your ring this afternoon and recorded the details".

Chat Noir almost dropped the box.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you", and Max's tone was apologetic. "I forgot that you wouldn't know that I knew".

"...how did you know?" It was almost a whisper. Adrien was in shock.

Max looked down at the ground. "I just know things like that", he said quietly. "Everyone else knows that I see things very literally. I forgot that you are new and might not know the same."

Adrien tilted his head, considering this new piece of information for a minute.

It was a crazy, dangerous idea, but he had to ask.

"Do you know who Ladybug is too?"

Max didn't take his eyes from the ground. "Seeing you up close tonight made me 100% sure. I haven't seen Ladybug up close."

There was something about the way he said it.

"So, you suspect but don't know".

Max's voice was pained. "I have a hypothesis. But... I don't wish to test it."

Another thought struck Adrien.

"You didn't tell Hawkmoth who I was?"

"I hadn't seen you up close then, so I didn't know yet. But even if I had known – he didn't ask. I don't always tell people things if they don't ask."

 _Or sometimes you tell them the things that they didn't want to know_ , Adrien thought to himself with a smile. He'd heard Max say some seriously unfiltered stuff. But... this was worth knowing. He couldn't do anything about Max knowing his secret identity. But it sounded like Max might be the safest person in Paris to keep his secret.

Marinette had been right, though maybe not in the way she thought.

Max took a breath and said one more thing. "Before you ask, I don't know who Hawkmoth is either. But if I ever get to see him, I might."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying this, please leave a review with your thoughts. I always try to reply! This was supposed to be a one-shot one-chapter conversation between Marinette and Chat Noir, and it's become something else entirely thanks to Max. I'm actually not sure where this is going myself or even if there's a story here :-)**


	4. Not My Ring

**A/N: Just noting that the setting for this fic is very vague, somewhere season 2-ish. I haven't watched season 2 yet myself but I'm aware a few things have happened that this story might or might not have matched up with. Especially as to how our heroes and Max have interacted before, because I don't know myself! Please consider it an alternate AU that starts diverging after season 1. I own nothing.**

"I've got something important I need to tell you, my Lady".

Her partner's ears were suspiciously and tellingly flicking around in all directions. Either they were being listened to or he was _really_ uncomfortable about what he wanted to say. Ladybug had been starting to poise herself for a jump to the next roof, but she stopped the motion before it started.

"What, Chat?"

He took far too long to answer for what she expected would be a story about his new ring, and didn't meet her eyes.

"Someone knows my secret identity."

 _That_ wasn't what she expected. She sat down on the roof and patted the tiles. He came and sat next to her, looking out at the view.

"I... actually, I should start from the beginning. The most important thing I need to tell you is that this ring isn't my Miraculous."

Startled, she looked down at the familiar black and green ring, then looked up at his green, green eyes. They had a hint of mischief in them. "How did you do that?" she asked.

"My... my father thought he recognised my ring in my civilian form. I wasn't sure if he believed what I said. So I got a civilian I know to organise to buy me a similar ring. My kwami puts a layer of colour over this one as part of the costume so it looks like my Miraculous."

"Which means that"... her mind raced ahead, recognising the possibilities, and they both said together "someone who's akumatised can take it!"

They looked at each other, and burst out laughing. Ladybug was delighted. She hadn't realised his kwami could do that. She'd just assumed the fake would disappear with the rest of their clothes in the transformation. She was glad she'd helped her partner with the project. Especially if it was his father – a detail he hadn't let slip to Marinette. She suddenly realised she knew nothing about Chat's family.

"So how did you find a civilian you could trust?" she asked. She knew the answer, but she shouldn't let him know that.

"Well, it was sort of two civilians. Remember Zombizou?" Ladybug nodded, and he continued. "We've saved so many people in that highschool class, I feel like I know them. I went to a girl who hadn't been akumatised. Her name's Marinette. I know she loves design, and I thought she would have the eye to find me the right ring." He blushed. "I didn't think about how it would sound if I just dropped in and asked her to buy me one".

Ladybug laughed. It was almost as funny hearing it in-suit from her sheepish partner as it had been to hear it the first time. "So what did you do?" she asked, still chuckling.

"She suggested another student in her class. Max, who became the Gamer." They both sombered a little, remembering how scary that fight had been. Not their most physically taxing by any means, but giant robots weren't something you could make a lot of mistakes with in the real world and come out safely. They hadn't known that there'd been a save point.

"Anyway, she set it up, I went to see him. And then he called me by my real name."

Ladybug sucked in a breath. Now this, she _hadn't_ been expecting.

Though, now that she thought about it, it made sense. Max saw the world in a very literal way. It was quite likely that the magic just slid off him.

Which meant...

"I asked him if he knew who you were too". Her partner looked guilty, and she froze.

"What did he say?" she asked nervously.

"He said he wasn't 100% certain because he'd never seen Ladybug up close. He had a hypothesis, but he didn't want to test it."

Right, because it had been his akumatised self she'd come face to face with, and they didn't remember afterwards. Note to self: do not talk to Max directly as Ladybug.

And then Chat relayed the thing that got her mind _really_ spinning.

"He also said he hadn't seen Hawkmoth up close either."

"But that means..."

"Yeah." Chat had a bit of a grin on his face. He'd spent the whole previous night thinking this over. "We might have a way to identify Hawkmoth."


	5. Chat Window

Chat window 1783P3439X

 _8:38 BlackAsNight joined the chat._

 _8:38 Statnerdery joined the chat._

 _8:39 BlackAsNight:_ Hey dude.

 _8:39 Statnerdery:_ Hey.

 _8:41 BlackAsNight:_ So. We were thinking.

 _8:41 SpotsForLife joined the chat._

 _8:42 SpotsForLife:_ Don't strain yourself.

 _8:42 Statnerdery:_ It's no strain.

 _8:43 SpotsForLife:_ Fair.

 _8:44 BlackAsNight:_ As I was saying. We thought maybe you could help us identify Hawkmoth.

 _8:45 Statnerdery:_ You think that if I see him in person I might know.

 _8:45 SpotsForLife:_ Yes

 _8:45 SpotsForLife:_ But nobody's seen him in person

 _8:46 Statnerdery:_ Except his assistant

 _8:47 BlackAsNight:_ What assistant?

 _8:47 SpotsForLife:_ What assistant?

 _8:48 Statnerdery:_ It is highly likely that he has a mundane assistant. Otherwise his villain work would have leaked clues into his civilian life by now.

 _8:48 Statnerdery:_ Absences, contradictions. There would be someone who reported their suspicion to the police hotline.

 _8:49 BlackAsNight:_ Last week Officer Raincomprix said the hotline had had 240 calls in the last year.

 _8:50 SpotsForLife:_ And?

 _8:50 BlackAsNight:_ Neighbour feuds and racists.

 _8:51 Statnerdery:_ This proves my point.

 _8:51 Statnerdery:_ Even the two of you leave clues. You work hard to hide your identities but you cannot control events or your surroundings completely.

 _8:52 Statnerdery:_ Hawkmoth doesn't leave clues. The only way that can happen is if someone competent assists him.

 _8:53 SpotsForLife:_ I'm glad we're talking to you.

 _8:54 Statnerdery:_ I'm happy to help.

 _8:55 BlackAsNight:_ So, elephant in the room time, people.

 _8:55 BlackAsNight:_ If Max is willing

 _8:56 BlackAsNight:_ How do we draw Hawkmoth out in person so that he can be seen?

 _8:59 SpotsForLife:_ We offer him bait


	6. Missed Opportunity

Marinette yawned. Alya nudged her. "Eyes up, teacher on the move".

Miss Bustier was coming up the aisle, handing out assignment sheets as she explained.

"This assignment is part of both your Geography and Literature work. You'll need to do it on a landmark of Paris that features in one of the novels on our study list this year, and NOT the Eiffel Tower because you've had an assignment on that already."

Further back behind Marinette, Kim sighed.

"On the sheet you'll see that your assignment needs to include your own photographs or drawings of the landmark as well as your personal impressions. No Google Image Search allowed! You must actually go there in person. But," Miss Bustier continued, "since you'll need to visit your chosen place, I want you to work in pairs even though you will be submitting individual assignments". She looked directly at Chloe and Sabrina, "AND I am going to insist that you work with someone who's not your usual partner."

Alya nudged Marinette again, then leaned forward. "Hey, Nino! Want to work with me?"

"Sure?" he replied easily.

Alya kicked Marinette under the desk, and when she looked at her in confusion, made a very pointed *mhhh-hmm* throat clearing noise in Adrien's direction.

Marinette immediately froze up and went pale. The words... words... what were words? Umm...

Before she could get anything out, the gorgeous boy in front of her half-stood, turning, and called out to the back of the room "Hey, Max. Want to work together?"

"That would be suitable. Yes."

Beside her, Alya was face-palming. "Girl, you've got to stop missing the opportunities".

Opportunity... she was right. Marinette's brain clicked back into gear. That would have been a _perfect_ opportunity to hang out with Max. They'd worked out how they could bait Hawkmoth, but getting Max near enough and still safe when they didn't know exactly when akumas would strike... that was proving a lot harder. If she'd been working with Max on this project she might have been able to make up an excuse to get him to come with her at the right time, and as Ladybug she'd know exactly where he was... but that would mean spending extra time close with him, and it sounded like he already suspected her identity. She wouldn't be able to avoid giving him clues. Plus it increased the risk of coming face to face with him as Ladybug.

She groaned, and put her head on her arms. This was all so complicated.

Alya rubbed her shoulder. "Cheer up girl, it could be worse".

"All right, class", Miss Bustier said, "everyone has a partner except Marinette and Chloe, so I guess you two are working together."

Next to her, Alya whispered very quietly "Whoops."


	7. Carrousel du Louvre

Marinette weaved through the shopping centre crowd, trying to keep the bouncing blonde ponytail in sight. She was sure Chloe would be happy to leave her behind. She was equally sure she wasn't going to get left.

The space got wider suddenly and the crowd thinned out a little. She caught up with Chloe under the giant pyramid skylight.

"Which novel is the Carrousel du Louvre in anyway?" she asked, a little impatiently. Chloe just tossed her head. "The Da Vinci Code, of course".

"But that's not even on the reading list!"

"Well, it should be", Chloe replied. "I'll tell Miss Bustier to put it on there. It's the best-selling novel, after all".

"Actually", a familiar voice interrupted, "'Elegance of a Hedgehog' outlasted the Da Vinci Code on the best-seller lists, remaining there for 102 weeks." Max nodded at the two of them. "Hello Marinette, Chloe".

"That Left Bank novel?" Chloe rounded on Marinette as if coming to this shopping centre had been her idea. "Why aren't we going there then? Even if it _is_ the Left Bank?"

"I wanted to", Marinette sighed. "But Sabrina and Alix were going there, and Miss Bustier said you couldn't do the same thing as Sabrina. Remember?"

Chloe looked away, unwilling to concede any point to her unwanted assignment partner. Conveniently, that gave her a perfect sightline to Max's assignment partner, just coming out of a store.

"ADRIKINS!"

Marinette flinched, wondering whether to turn around and look.

"Look at me, Marinette". Max's voice was calm, and she met his eyes carefully. He smiled at her. "I confess I'd rather be with Kim and Nathaniel at the Gare du Nord than here. Trains can be watched from a distance."

She took the conversational opening he offered, keeping her back to the sight of Chloe throwing herself over Adrien.

"Jules Verne isn't my thing. I'd rather be in Montmartre with Alya and Nino", she admitted.

"Marcel Aymé's Walker Through Walls? It's a fascinating concept. Tragedy interests me", Max said. "It's predictable, yet the protagonists never predict it sufficiently to avoid it."

"So what novel brought you here?" Marinette asked.

A ray of sunshine seemed to fall from the skylight in front of her. She blinked. Adrien's smile was dazzling as he bounded – bounded? - up next to Max.

"Zazie in the Metro!" he announced energetically. "It's my favourite novel! I read it last year at home."

If Marinette hadn't known Max for as long as she had, she'd have thought she caught a hint of an eye-roll. As it was, he didn't do that sort of expression. But his stiffness said a great deal.

"I haven't read that one yet", she said. It was true. Between akumas and chores and working on her designs, she was barely keeping up with her normal homework. Reading novels was a long way down her list of priorities.

"I confess I have had a great deal of difficulty reading it", Max said. "Adrien is helping me understand it, for which I am quite grateful."

"It's only the most awesome novel ever!" Adrien's enthusiasm was brighter than she'd ever seen on his face before. He was normally far more reserved. She took the book he was holding out to her, pressing her fingers to where his had touched.

"Really?" Chloe interrupted haughtily, sending a shiver of cold water through Marinette's momentary daydream. "Zazie is a minor and troublemaker with no breeding, and no respect for what matters in life."

"Just look at the first page", Adrien said eagerly. Marinette opened the book and read...

...and read... um...

actually, she wasn't sure what she was reading. "Doukipudonktan? Is that even a word?"

"It's great, isn't it? He just spins words together into new ones."

Marinette could see why Max was struggling with the novel. As if reading her mind, Max said "Adrien showed me that the nonsense words follow a pattern. They are strictly constructed according to a personalised grammar, and able to be deconstructed phonetically. I don't really know why the author felt this was necessary, but it has made it possible for me to understand what the characters are saying to each other."

"It's puns, Max", Adrien grinned. "Lots and lots of puns".

"Clearly".

Chloe took Adrien's arm. "Since you're here, Adrikins, why don't we walk around together?"

His eyes flickered behind her for just a moment, then he smiled and patted her on the arm. "I would love to, Chloe, but Max and I were just on our way to the gentleman's room. Could we meet you back here in a few minutes?" He disengaged and began to walk away, touching Max on the shoulder. Max shrugged at Marinette and followed.

Marinette watched dreamily after Adrien until he was lost in the crowd. She didn't come back to herself until the screaming started.

It was a shop assistant, Ladybug decided as she looked Hawkmoth's latest creation over. The akuma was probably in the Paywave reader on his glove. She glanced around, trying not to make eye contact with anyone in case they were Max. Who should be in hiding somewhere nearby, according to the plan they'd hashed out. Hopefully Chat got here soon. This was the first chance they'd had to try getting Hawkmoth out of hiding. Perhaps she should thank Chloe for insisting they come here.

...nah.

A black shadow fell from the ceiling next to her, bouncing back off the floor with glee. " _Check out_ the bad guy!" Chat Noir said. Ladybug sighed, then moved close to his ear. He turned to her as she did, and at the same moment they both said "Plan Max is a go!"

"Wait, what?" she startled. How did he know that Max was here... oh who cares. He knew, and that was the main thing. They'd agreed it would be Chat's job to keep an eye on Max's location, while Ladybug controlled where the akuma went. And with that, she leapt into battle, Chat Noir only half a moment behind.

Creditor's paywave wristband shot credit cards at them, sometimes bouncing off walls and hitting them from behind. It was rather annoying, Chat thought to himself as he swung his baton almost lazily. Not quite enough damage to make his little "magic trick" look real enough.

No sooner thought, than the cards began to explode as they hit.

It was the first time he'd been pleased to see an akuma breaking things.

Now, to time it just right and hope that Ladybug... no, no hope needed. She always had his back. And the best of luck. There was no question she'd be in the right place at the right time. He leapt towards a card as it sailed towards a civilian...

...and got caught by the explosion.

The civilians hiding and filming nearby saw him thrown against the wall. Hard. Bricks flew back out of the wall, along with what was probably waste water from a hidden pipe. Rubble crashed down onto a twisted, awkwardly sprawling black-clad body, covering it completely. And as a green light flashed somewhere under the rubble, a small silver object went bouncing across the floor.

Both Creditor's and Ladybug's eyes locked onto it.

Then Ladybug's face filled with determination. She yelled, a sound wrung out of her heart for her injured and vulnerable partner, and the akuma fell back in shock. She pressed the advantage – and Creditor _bailed_ , racing up escalators and out of the mall. Ladybug chased him. News cameras caught her defeating him viciously, hurriedly, without pause or kindness, three streets away – then racing off away from the attack site to the sound of beeping. There was no Miraculous Cure.

And no sign of Chat Noir.


	8. Ladyblog News Update

**A/N:** Hi guys, just a reminder that

 **a)** I haven't watched season 2 so this story is an AU diverging after season 1; and

 **b)** this story has a **K+** rating which means nobody really gets hurt. Right? Right. Don't panic.

Also **c)** I do not own Miraculous Ladybug, and I'm grateful for the chance to play in this world. Also to play with some fanon parts of it when they prove useful to the construction of a story (though I thank the guest who pointed out, in different words, that in some places my use of fanon tropes for a particular effect is a little bit lazy – while they did what I wanted them to, you're right, I could definitely do better! Point taken).

* * *

THEME FRAME: LADYBLOG NEWS UPDATE

 _Open on Alya's face with usual webcam background._

ALYA: Hi guys. This is the Ladyblogger, Alya Cesaire. Let's talk about the unusual parts of today's akuma attack.

CUT TO FIRST-PERSON VID

 _the mobile phone footage is a little shaky. It shows people attempting to run away in what could be almost any shopping centre. The male narrator's voice is slightly breathless, trying not to be too loud._

UNKNOWN MALE: They're calling themselves Creditor. They're not doing much damage.

 _A card flies against a pillar and explodes. Creditor is still not visible, hidden by the crowd and a shop display._

UNKNOWN MALE: Gods, I've had days like that in retail.

CUT BACK TO ALYA

ALYA: That footage from JacquePlays23 shows the beginning of the akuma attack. There was little initial damage and Ladybug and Chat Noir were on the scene within the first two minutes. But then it got more serious. Here's PeakyIsBlue.

CUT TO SECOND VID – ALYA'S WINDOW STAYS ONSCREEN, SHRINKS AND MOVES TO UPPER RIGHT

UNKNOWN FEMALE: That was close. Lili! Get your head down!

ALYA: As you can see, Creditor's cards increased their explosive power. Keep watching.

 _Chat Noir leaps into the frame of the shot, baton spinning. He's smiling gleefully. The camera frame rate seems to hiccup slightly, and suddenly Chat Noir is being thrown against a wall. Bricks fly outwards and the hero vanishes from sight._

UNKNOWN FEMALE: Chat no!

ALYA: Watch to the left of where Chat Noir fell.

 _Something very tiny appears to bounce on the floor. The video freezes._

ALYA: Ladybug and Chat Noir fans, I think that is Chat Noir's ring that's just fallen to the floor. Let me show you a third clip, submitted by LilSpotsette.

 _Alya's window stays but the main video changes to a new angle. It's much quieter than in the other clips, more obviously post-battle. People are sitting around, standing around, looking for each other, not trying to hide any more. There's still damage here and there, a few piles of rubble._

LILSPOTSETTE: So this is the aftermath. Ladybug and Creditor raced out of here about ten minutes ago. My ankle's twisted so I'm not leaving until Ladybug fixes everything. Hope it happens soon.

 _A large man comes swiftly through the space, looking for someone. Behind him a neatly dressed lady moves more carefully, also looking around. The camera follows them to a couple of rumpled-looking boys sitting against a wall, half-sheltered by a fallen rack of postcards._

LILSPOTSETTE: Ohmigods, it's Adrien Agreste! Wish I'd seen he was here sooner! I'd have got his autograph! He is so good looking it's uncanny. And unfair. Even like this he looks good... hey wow, it's Ladybug!

 _The phone view swishes fast around to the opposite direction. Ladybug is leaping down an escalator to the Carrousel du Louvre's main floor._

ALYA: As best I can tell from all the footage you guys have sent in, the pile of rubble that Chat Noir fell under is that one to the left, just next to the fire cupboard. Watch what Ladybug does.

 _Ladybug glances around the space until she sees what she's looking for. She runs to what seems like an empty patch of floor near the pile of rubble mentioned, and picks something up that is invisibly small at this distance. She barely glances at the place where her partner supposedly fell. Instead she tosses her yoyo high and pulls herself back up to the top of the escalator, disappearing from view._

 _Alya's window resizes to fill the screen._

ALYA TO CAMERA: I want you to notice two things. Firstly, whatever Ladybug picked up was more important than her partner. She went straight to it without even looking at where he'd fallen. Second, even once she'd got it, she didn't seem to look for him. That's... really weird for Ladybug, she and Chat Noir normally look out for each other really closely. Remember, there's no other footage that shows Chat Noir anywhere after he disappears under those bricks. But she acts like she didn't expect to find him there at all. So let me show you one last clip.

 _The phone feed fills the screen. Alya is talking into her phone as she takes an escalator down into the shopping centre._

ALYA IN THE CLIP: Hi Ladyblog followers. I've just got to the Carrousel du Louvre. Ladybug beat Creditor about nine minutes ago just three blocks from here, and disappeared straight after.

 _She turns the phone to show the Carrousel's main floor, still damaged._

ALYA IN THE CLIP: She hasn't restored everything yet though. Normally that happens as soon as she and Chat Noir beat Hawkmoth's latest, but not today. Something unusual is happening for sure.

 _Ladybug leaps through the frame. We see again her look briefly around, pick something up and swing upwards again, but from a much greater distance than the previous clip._

ALYA IN THE CLIP: What was that about?

 _The phone pans around slowly. It happens to be facing Chat's pile of rubble when the air shimmers. The rubble disappears. There's a split second where we might possibly see a hole in the wall behind it, before the wall is restored completely to normal. The phone continues to pan around, showing shops, floor, columns, people, returned to the way they were._

 _The video clip stops and is replaced by Alya against her normal background, talking to camera._

ALYA: The shortest estimate I can make is eleven minutes between Ladybug defeating Creditor and restoring everything. The thing that's really odd about this, Ladybug watchers, is not just the delay, well, that's unusual just of itself. But my big question: she knew her partner had fallen, injured. Why did she wait to lift the rubble off him when he could have been badly hurt underneath? Why not fix things as soon as she could? My theory is that Chat Noir was in his civilian form and she was protecting his identity.

THEME FRAME WITH LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE BUTTONS APPLIED

ALYA: Leave your theories and ideas in the comments below! And if you want to hear the Ladybug news as soon as it's up, make sure you hit the subscribe button!

VIDEO ENDS


	9. You're OK But This Is A Bad Idea

Chat window 1921T4886Q

 _3:40 UnderALadder joined the chat_

 _3:40 EtotheiPi joined the chat_

 _3:41 LuckyDay joined the chat_

 _3:41 LuckyDay:_ Are you both OK?

 _3:41 LuckyDay:_ I was really worried

 _3:42 EtotheiPi:_ You stuck to the plan. Good.

 _3:43 UnderALadder:_ We're OK.

 _3:43 LuckyDay:_ It scared me that I couldn't check on you without giving it away.

 _3:44 UnderALadder:_ Just as well I'm pawsome

 _3:44 UnderALadder:_ I whiskered myself away

 _3:45 LuckyDay:_ Please stop

 _3:45 LuckyDay:_ You're OK

 _3:46 EtotheiPi:_ I can confirm that he is. And I am.

 _3:46 UnderALadder:_ So the big question.

 _3:47 UnderALadder:_ Did you see Hawkmoth or his assistant looking for the ring?

 _3:49 LuckyDay:_ Max?

 _3:50 EtotheiPi:_ I saw nobody who was not looking for a person that they found.

 _3:50 UnderALadder:_ Oh squirtletoads.

 _3:51 LuckyDay:_ We knew it was a small window though

 _3:51 EtotheiPi:_ You got the akuma away quickly so that it couldn't get the ring

 _3:52 EtotheiPi:_ That gave the best probability of Hawkmoth or his assistant coming

 _3:52 LuckyDay:_ I left it as long as I could before coming back

 _3:52 LuckyDay:_ but all the news channels have been talking about it

 _3:53 LuckyDay:_ they are all asking why

 _3:53 UnderALadder:_ could we try it again?

 _3:54 EtotheiPi:_ I think it will be too suspicious

 _3:54 EtotheiPi:_ The best probability is still my first suggestion

 _3:55 LuckyDay:_ It's still too risky

 _3:55 UnderALadder:_ Do we have much choice though?

 _3:56 EtotheiPi:_ I am the most at risk. I am willing.

 _3:57 LuckyDay:_ No! Following the akuma is too dangerous for a civilian.

 _3:58 UnderALadder:_ We can swoop in and save Max

 _3:59 EtotheiPi:_ Ladybug cannot

 _4:01 LuckyDay:_ Yes. I can.


	10. Inspection

Max closed the chat window, deleted his browser history and put his phone in his pocket. Next to him in the limo's back seat, Adrien did the same.

"Seems strange to chat online when I'm sitting next to you", the model said.

"I prefer text conversations", Max replied.

They sat in silence for the next few minutes, until the car pulled into the Agreste mansion driveway.

Gabriel was waiting for them at the top of the steps.

"I was worried about you", he said, although his face was far colder than the words implied. At least to Adrien. Max simply watched as the older man took his son's hand and pulled him in for a brief paternal hug, then pushed him back a step to look him over.

All over.

"I see you are unhurt", he said simply. "You should not have left your bodyguard".

"Father, I remained where I said I would be. He doesn't have to be at my shoulder every second when I'm with my friends."

"Yes, he does". Even to Max's ear, there was no give in the tone. "And who is this friend you have brought with you today?"

"This is Max, father. He and I are working on a literature project together. That's why we were at the Carrousel de Louvre. I would like to finish making notes with him now as we were interrupted earlier."

"I can see that this would be useful". Gabriel nodded. "I will ask the chef to make some food for you both, and bring it to your room."

It was both more than Adrien had hoped for, and less than he'd wanted. For his father to have any flexibility at all about a friend being present said that he had been quite worried about Adrien.

The two boys walked without talking to Adrien's room. Inside, Max put his bag down. As soon as the door was closed, he listened at it until he was sure nobody was outside.

Plagg flew over to him. "Worried?"

"A little. I think Adrien should retrieve the fake ring from Ladybug as soon as possible. His father took care to note that Adrien was wearing his ring when he arrived, but did not inspect it closely".

"You think he will?"

"With high certainty. Most likely before his worry has ended. How long does that take him?"

"You know, I have no idea", Adrien answered. "But I guess we should be ready for soon." He took out some Camembert cheese and held it out to Plagg. Max held his nose, and muttered "Doukipoudonktan" under his breath. Adrien grinned. "See, you're getting the idea!" He pulled out his file from his bag and put it on the table, flipping it open to their assignment sheet. "Why don't you make some notes, and I'll take a shower? It'll take me about fifteen minutes."

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. The shower was still running, so Max opened the door. It was Gabriel, bringing the food himself. Max stepped aside to let him in.

"How is the assignment?"

"It is difficult, sir. The language is conceptually complicated. Thank you for allowing Adrien to work with me. His help is invaluable."

"Are you not a good student?" Gabriel asked in surprise.

"I am an excellent student", Max replied. "However I do not always notice the subtleties that literature projects to its readers. Adrien is more of a people person and he is filling in these gaps for me."

Gabriel nodded at this, and asked no more questions. Two minutes and twenty seven seconds later by Max's watch, Adrien stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel with his hair still wet. "Father!" he said in surprise.

"I just wanted to check on you again", Gabriel said. "I think I must have been more shaken by this attack than I realised at first".

"I apologise for keeping you waiting. I felt I needed to wash away the matter before I could concentrate on my work."

"Understandable". Gabriel looked at Adrien, then at his hand. "You wear your ring in the shower?"

"I like to wear it all the time so that I don't put it down somewhere and forget it", the boy replied.

"May I look at it? Some metals are less suited to water than others."

"Of course". Adrien took the ring off and handed it to his father, who looked it over closely. He seemed slightly surprised as he handed it back without comment.

"I will leave you two to continue your work. Max, if you wish to work on this project with Adrien more, I would rather it be here than out in public next time." Gabriel left the room without waiting for a response.

The two boys wrote without talking for another few minutes. Then Adrien said "Thanks, Max."

Max just nodded and turned to the next page of Zazie. "Explain this word to me, please."

* * *

 **A/N Sorry I forgot to add a translation! If you look up the book Zazie In The Metro you'll find references to "doukipoudonktan". It's a phonetic spelling of a French phrase all jammed together that roughly translates as "who/what is it that stinks so bad?". The English translation of the novel starts with the words "Holifart watastink", if that gives you any idea as to what the book's like.**


	11. What Does It Take

**A/N: Wow. As of this chapter, this is now my most-viewed story ever! I'm really surprised, I'd never have guessed this one would be so popular! Thank you everyone who's read, followed, favourited, reviewed. I love you all!**

The stars twinkled peacefully.

"Well, there was Peacemaker on Monday", he said, sprawling back against the still-sunwarmed roof sheeting.

She sighed. "Fluffy clouds lifting people out of reach".

"Tuesday was Tickatch" he said, patting the roof next to him.

She leaned back, uncaring of their closeness. "Rolls of pre-printed tickets tying people up. I thought that one might be a go".

"Shame that the tickets just tore off so easily."

"Yeah". He moved an arm to support her head. She leant against it, still watching the stars, and said "I hated Thursday's one. What was she called?"

"Love Your Mudder". They both fell silent, remembering the Avenue des Champs-Élysées turned into a two-kilometre-long mud-filled obstacle pit.

"Don't get me wrong, it was kinda fun", he said, "but it took forever to get my hair clean".

"Poor kitty". She scratched his hair with a free hand and he leant into it, smiling. "And then Friday". She sighed again. "Let's just not talk about Friday".

"Deal".

They lay there, casually touching, resting, just looking at the stars.

"So what does it take for Hawkmoth to come up with an akuma that can actually catch me, anyway?" he said.

"I've no idea".


	12. Nerves of Caramel

Finally.

She called herself Toffee Applicator.

An app had downloaded itself onto the phone of every Parisian except Max (who seemed to be running a self-tweaked OS that didn't play nice with others). It promised special rewards for anyone who got to the park along the Canal de St Martin between seventeen hours and seventeen-thirty. Enough people had been tempted that there was now a beautiful croquembouche tower of people caramelised together with very sticky strands as well as several people stuck to walls and trees. There was even a cyclist stuck to the top of a lamppost, wheels slowly spinning in midair.

Max was in hiding nearby. Ladybug was here. Plan Max was a go. All Chat Noir had to do was get stuck. Preferably not in the croquembouche. It should have been so simple.

"Look out, Chat!"

He dodged without thinking.

It had never occurred to him when they were planning this how hard he'd find it to be caught. Every instinct screamed against this.

 _Breathe, Adrien. Chat. Breathe,_ he told himself again. The thought of losing his ring made him panic, his vision tunnel in and start shading black at the edges. To lose this freedom.

 _Breathe. You can trust Ladybug. You can trust Max. You can trust Plagg._

He leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees, letting the blood come back to his head. Toffee flew over him as his vision cleared.

Just in time to see Ladybug glaring at him. Oh right. He'd just accidentally missed another opportunity to accidentally-on-purpose get hit. It wasn't his _fault_ , darnit.

She faced away from him again and leapt towards the golden girl with apple cheeks, then on towards a civilian child about to walk straight into the trouble. He watched her back, timing his following leap so as to draw Toffee Applicator's attention away from his Lady and the child.

This time, the golden girl didn't miss.

Chat found himself stuck to a post, unable to move except for one arm. "Ladybug!" he called. But she was too far away. He saw her face – his sight narrowed down until that was all he saw. He barely even noticed Toffee Applicator coming closer with a malicious grin, reaching for his ring hand. He just watched his Lady, scooping the child away then leaping back towards him, calling for her Lucky Charm as she came.

A blanket fell into her arms. Well, he hoped she knew what to do with that, because he had no idea how you'd use it to stop toffee.

Speaking of stopping, she didn't seem to be. She was still running at full speed towards him. Her face was panicky, mouthing words at him that he couldn't read. Black spots swirled at the edges of his sight. _Breathe. Trust Plagg. Trust Ladybug._

He closed his eyes. _Stay in the moment, boy. Give me three things you can hear._

Alarm cries from the birds of the canal.

Whimpering from the croquembouche.

Ladybug's running steps.

 _Good, Adrien. Now. Three things you can feel._

The feel of a ring sliding off his finger.

His transformation fizzing back across his limbs.

Something fluffy, warm and comforting sticking to his face.

He opened his eyes, and with much effort at focusing saw nothing but a red-and-black-spotted blanket.


	13. A Ring In The Hand's Worth 1 In The Bush

"YES!"

Hawkmoth laughed. Chat Noir was unable _toffree_ himself.

OK, it wasn't one of his better ones. But he didn't care. His akuma was about to take the ring. Ladybug was too far away to stop her.

Whoah. That girl could really move. She was seconds too late, but that was all. Still, it was enough, especially as she'd focused on protecting her partner's identity instead of stopping the ring-grab. Now she'd ripped the cat from the pole with her yoyo - Hawkmoth winced, that would have hurt - and was carrying him away from the battleground instead of chasing his villain. He doubted she'd be gone long though.

"Toffee Applicator. Bring me the ring! You've defeated Chat Noir, but Ladybug will stop you if you don't get away right now!"

There was the temptation – always the temptation – to see if he could score both, of course. But cold patience overruled that. The girl would certainly be demoralised by Hawkmoth's win, and left unsupported by the loss of her partner. He'd claim the first of his prizes, knowing it would be far easier to beat her on her own now.

His villain ran. Slid, even, on hard brittle skis. It was a good turn of speed.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be quite enough. Ladybug had stashed her partner somewhere, still blanket-and-caramel-coated, and was now on the akuma's trail. And catching up fast despite her minute-or-two's head start.

It was time for his plan R. For Retrieve.

Toffee Applicator had just swung into a small park, one planted for nooks and crannies. "Hide the ring", he ordered. She did so, tucking it into a crevice in brickwork surrounding a tree, and ran on through the park. Just as she crossed the last lawn and reached for the park gate, he summoned the akuma from her, tearing her memories away with it.

In a wave of purple energy, she collapsed. As did his link with her. The last thing he saw through it was Ladybug reaching out to the akumatised girl.

He smiled, detransformed and left his viewing room. He'd been working inside too much today. A walk in the fresh air would do him some good.

* * *

 **A/N Just to fill in on a question and comment or two I got: this story is deliberately written tersely, at least where I can make myself do it (I'm a chronic overtalker normally). So I'm sort of sorry about the short chapters - I prefer them longer myself - but they are all meant to be fragments that break off half way through a conversation or situation once all the important details have been mentioned, and a lot of the intermediate scenes have been left out completely. That means there are heaps of things I've left up to your imagination - for example, how exactly Adrien gets his ring back after the first attempt at bait, because I tell you when he does it but it happens behind a closed door. I know what happens off-screen in my plan, it's all designed to hold together without big plot holes (fingers crossed), but it's not explicitly put down in words so honestly any details you guys create for yourselves are just as awesome! If you want a more detailed approach and to spend longer enjoying the words of a thing, feel free to check out some of my other stories. A Flower For You is a bit to the fragmented side like this one, but the others mostly have much more worldbuilding (that's kinda my thing).**


	14. Where'd It Go?

Ladybug dropped her blanket-swathed partner in a tiny gap between two houses, big enough for someone to check a fuse or meter but no more. "You should be out of sight here, Chat", she said. "I'll follow the akuma – if you're OK".

The muffled voice under the blanket sounded like it said "I'm clawsome", so she leapt straight up between the two walls and chimneyed out onto the roof before there was any chance of accidentally seeing her partner in civilian form. Or hearing whatever pun he said.

From the rooftop it took a few moments before she spotted Toffee Applicator. She had left the Canal Saint Martin and the Jardin Villemin, and was skidding through the streets nearby. Thankfully it wasn't one of Hawkmoth's faster ones – who'd have thought toffee would be slow? A confectioners' daughter certainly would. She grinned to herself. It was lucky that her Lucky Charm hadn't been a bag of icing sugar or hot water hose. The blanket had worked perfectly, landing on Chat just as he and Plagg dropped his transformation. As always, exactly what they needed, as long as she could work out how to use it.

She caught up to the akumatised girl just as she neared a little public garden. Toffee Applicator looked over her shoulder, then put on an extra burst of speed to the park's gate. Ladybug swung to the top of one of the gate pillars, but the girl had disappeared into the park's shrubbery and twisting paths.

There.

She swung down in front of Toffee Applicator, who skidded to a stop and raised a hand to throw more toffee. Just as she did, a cloud of purple energy seemed to burst out from the girl. She shrank down into herself, costume shrinking back into a confectioner's kitchen apron, and a deep purple butterfly flew away from her pocket. Ladybug reached out towards the girl almost instinctively, looking for the ring in her hand, ready to make an excuse to knock it from her grip – but her hands were empty.

Uh oh.

She plastered her usual careful, friendly smile onto her face and put one hand on the girl's shoulder. "Do you remember anything?" she said.

The girl's face twisted in horror. "Ladybug? You... oh no. Does that mean I was...?"

Her voice trailed off, and tears gathered in her eyes. "Did I hurt anyone?" she asked.

"Nothing that won't be fixed once I do a Miraculous Cure", Ladybug said reassuringly. With a silent murmur to the god of Luck that she shared a skin with, she struck a pose and held up one hand.

A red and black, slightly sticky blanket landed in it.

She carefully did _not_ look in any direction it could have been thrown from, and when the girl in front of her started to look around she held the blanket in the way. "Maybe you can help me?" she said with a smile. The girl's eyes changed from curiosity to awe, and she put one hand on the blanket.

Together they threw it into the air, and watched streamers of pink and silver fill the sky.


	15. Max Watches

Max lay low along the roof of the Françoise Sagan media library, holding his binoculars. He'd realised quite quickly that no matter where Hawkmoth wanted the toffee girl to take the ring, it would have to be on foot – she didn't have the power of flight, nor did her powers let her cross the water. So she was most likely going to end up running away through the Jardin Villemin. From there, the Gare du Est blocked most directions, which left only a few choices. So he'd left the battleground almost as soon as he arrived and started making his way to the library. It gave a good view of the streets the akumatised girl would have to cross. Chat Noir had caught up with him near the base of the building, using Max's tracker to find him, and given him a sneaky out-of-sight lift by baton to the roof. Now the superhero was sprawled a little to Max's left, also watching carefully. Apparently he did not need binoculars, a fact Max added to his mental library.

Sure enough, the akuma was making her way much as Max had expected. Ladybug was coming up fast behind. Max made a quick estimation, and grimaced.

"I believe that Ladybug will catch up to Toffee Applicator before they reach this library", he said quietly.

Chat Noir's ears twitched. "If she catches her we can't follow her to Hawkmoth".

"Ladybug knows that. She will try and stay behind. But her speed is great and her time is limited. Hawkmoth's protege cannot get sufficiently far ahead to control her own course. Hawkmoth is unlikely to fail to realise this, and will take action."

Chat considered for only a second. "Where do you want to be, Max?"

"I am quite certain their paths will converge sufficiently in that square down there".

They slipped over the back side of the library, careful to avoid being within view of either the villain or Ladybug, and hurried around into the little park. Unusually for a city park it was filled with many things that weren't just lawn and trees. Max made a note of the convenience. He was keeping a mental tally of occurrences that were noticeably either good luck or bad luck, simply for interest. It would take some thought to determine an appropriate level of statistical significance, but it could certainly be done. Perhaps the two superheroes would be interested in an analysis later.

In the meantime, he needed an excellent hiding spot. Chat Noir had already faded into the bushes, surprisingly hard to see for someone in shiny black leather and carrying a red blanket. Which was good, as it was paramount that Hawkmoth not realise Chat Noir still had access to his transformation. Max however was inexperienced at stealth. Thankfully, there seemed to be plenty more bushes.

Max watched Toffee Applicator hide the ring.

He closed his eyes when Ladybug entered the park.

He was vaguely aware of the sound of Chat tossing the blanket at some point, and of the light of the Miraculous Cure being performed, but didn't open his eyes again until he heard the sound of a yoyo zipping away. Which didn't take long – she had been almost out of time, after all. Alya had previously noted that there was never more than five minutes between one of the superheroes using their special power and them disappearing. While he hadn't seen exactly when Ladybug had called for her Charm, given the time Chat had been with him he estimated it had not been any less than four minutes and thirty seconds beforehand.

He shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable, ensuring he had a clear view of the ring's location, and settled in to wait.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi guys, just so you know: a few days after this chapter uploads I have a massive change in routine in my life coming... well, never mind the details. Short version is that I won't have access to my laptop for about four weeks (yay summer, right?). I'm trying to write a bunch of chapters now and upload them to this site so that I can post from my phone. My original plan was to have finished writing this story completely before then, but I'm no longer confident it'll happen. So if there's a bit of a delay between chapters for a while, I apologise! Hopefully I won't end up making y'all wait too long. There's not that long to go... I think. These characters keep surprising me.**


	16. It's A Distraction!

_Chat window 8X33R2426_

 _14:15 Economicon logged on_

 _14:25 TheLuckiestCat logged on_

 _14:26 TheLuckiestCat:_ Did you see what happened?

 _14:27 Economicon:_ I saw Hawkmoth remove his akuma from the girl before Ladybug could catch her

 _14:28 TheLuckiestCat:_ I don't know how you guessed he'd do that

 _14:28 Economicon:_ It was not a "guess".

 _14:30 Buglady logged on_

 _14:30 Buglady:_ Shit. We lost the ring. Now what?

 _14:31 Economicon:_ We did not lose the ring. I am watching it.

 _14:31 TheLuckiestCat:_ I didn't see where the ring went, but I have eyes on Max

 _14:32 TheLuckiestCat:_ Also, you're welcome

 _14:33 Buglady:_ Thanks for the blanket.

 _14:33 TheLuckiestCat:_ You mean throw rug

 _14:35 Buglady:_ Please explain what happened to me, Max

 _14:36 Economicon:_ Toffee Applicator put the ring down. You entered the park. I closed my eyes. You and the girl left the park. I opened my eyes.

 _14:37 Buglady:_ OK

 _14:38 Economicon:_ We will wait now

 _14:39 Buglady:_ Imma gonna start my hw. I'll keep this window open in case.

 _14:56 TheLuckiestCat changed his nickname to BoredInTheBushes_

 _14:57 BoredInTheBushes changed his nickname to BirdInTheBushes_

 _14:58 Economicon:_ You should change back to civilian form.

 _14:59 BirdInTheBushes:_ Why? I can't protect you that way.

 _15:00 Economicon:_ The consequence of being accidentally seen as Chat is higher than as yourself.

 _15:01 Economicon:_ Everyone who's come to this park so far would know Chat Noir in an instant

 _15:01 Economicon:_ If Hawkmoth saw you he'd know the ring was a fake

 _15:02 Economicon:_ If Hawkmoth saw you before we saw him we'd never see him

 _15:02 Economicon:_ Your kwami would most likely want to rest and eat

 _15:03 Economicon:_ Thank you.

 _15:04 BirdInTheBushes:_ How long will it take him to get here, anyway?

 _15:05 Buglady:_ Have there been many people come by?

 _15:06 Economicon:_ Two tourist couples who read the historic sign, looked around for less than four minutes each and left.

 _15:07 Economicon:_ One mother and toddler who visited the playground

 _15:07 Buglady:_ Bet they stayed less than fifteen minutes

 _15:08 Economicon:_ They did. What information did you base that on?

 _15:09 Buglady:_ There's only so many times you can lift a toddler to the top of the slide before you say "Let's go do something else"

 _15:10 Economicon:_ Limit of motivation vs ability. Fair.

 _15:10 BirdInTheBushes:_ Does that mean you have little brothers and sisters?

 _15:11 Buglady:_ Nice try.

 _15:11 BirdInTheBushes:_ Also a homeless guy. He's wandered off behind a hedge for a snooze.

 _15:12 BirdInTheBushes:_ Something's happening

 _15:12 BirdInTheBushes:_ Outside the park

 _15:13 BirdInTheBushes:_ They're screaming Ladybug

 _15:13 Buglady:_ I'm coming

 _15:13 Economicon:_ No don't

 _15:14 BirdInTheBushes:_ Good screaming. They want your autograph.

 _15:15 Buglady:_ But I'm not there

 _15:15 Economicon:_ I count that everyone has left the park except the sleeping guy

 _15:16 Buglady:_ It's a distraction! LOOK OUT!

 _15:18 Buglady:_ If neither of you answer in the next thirty seconds I'm coming

 _15:19 BirdInTheBushes:_ Sorry, didn't want to move and have him see me.

 _15:20 BirdInTheBushes:_ We're OK

 _15:21 Economicon:_ It wasn't a homeless guy

 _15:21 Economicon:_ It appears he hid to transform

 _15:22 Buglady:_ Why would he transform?

 _15:23 Economicon:_ Privacy

 _15:23 Economicon:_ The mimic he created of you was an effective distraction

 _15:24 BirdInTheBushes:_ I had to look twice to be sure

 _15:25 Economicon:_ It is lucky that you were talking with us. Chat Noir might have revealed himself otherwise.

 _15:26 Economicon:_ Hawkmoth would certainly have seen him

 _15:27 BirdInTheBushes:_ But! Instead we saw him! Win!

 _15:28 BirdInTheBushes:_ Now all we need is for Max to see him as a civilian and we'll know who he is!

 _15:29 BirdInTheBushes:_ Things might finally turn our way!

 _15:30 BirdInTheBushes:_ I'm excited!

 _15:30 BirdInTheBushes:_!-!-!-!-!

 _15:31 Buglady:_ Slow down, kitty. We still have a problem.

 _15:32 Buglady:_ How long do you think before he realises that isn't the Miraculous?


	17. Someone Asks

**A/N Sorry guys, guyettes, and guisers: I've momentarily caught up to where I'd written to already, which means this chapter's going up a little quickly and before I've made a couple of key decisions. So you can choose! I've written two versions of this and I honestly can't decide which one I prefer. Both fit with the chapters I have planned next. I think one's funnier but the other fits the characters better, but then I re-read them and think the same thing the other way around. I've put both versions up here: which one do you like?**

* * *

 **Version 1: Marinette asks Max**

Alya nudged Marinette. "This is your chance, girl. Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

Alya tilted her head towards the back of the classroom, where Mme Bustier was handing out assignment sheets.

"I heard her say to Sabrina that this was going to be another in-pairs assignment", she said. "Are you ready to ask him?"

Marinette froze. Scenarios played out through her brain in rapid succession, from innocent to terrifying and many absolutely both.

Alya nudged her again. "You can do it. Here it comes, girl. Take your chance!"

Mme Bustier raised her voice. "This assignment is towards your score in both mathematics and sport. Because last time I got mostly excellent individual assignments from you when you worked in pairs and combined your strengths, we're going to do that again. Somebody different, this time please."

Marinette looked towards Mme Bustier, then stood up, heart pounding. Did she really want to do this?

"Will you be my partner?" she said in an over-loud voice, that managed to fall into an almost-silent moment.

Everyone looked at her.

Alya started to do a secret under-the-desk fist-pump, then realised Marinette had forgotten to turn back around to the front of the class.

"I would like that, Marinette", said Max.

Alya was so busy face-palming, she almost missed the moment where Mme Bustier assigned her to work with Chloe.

Almost.

* * *

 **Version 2: Max asks Marinette**

Alya nudged Marinette. "This is your chance, girl. Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

Alya tilted her head towards the back of the classroom, where Mme Bustier was handing out assignment sheets.

"I heard her say to Sabrina that this was going to be another in-pairs assignment", she said. "Are you ready to ask him?"

Marinette froze. Scenarios played out through her brain in rapid succession, from innocent to terrifying and many absolutely both.

Alya nudged her again. "You can do it. Here it comes, girl. Take your chance!"

Mme Bustier raised her voice. "This assignment is towards your score in both mathematics and sport. Because last time I got mostly excellent individual assignments from you when you worked in pairs and combined your strengths, we're going to do that again. Somebody different, this time please."

Marinette's heart was pounding. She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"I think he's going to ask you! Say yes, Marinette. The word you want is YES", Alya hissed.

The beautiful boy in front of her was turning around, that slight smile on his face, looking towards the back of the classroom...

"Say YES", Alya hissed in her ear.

...towards _her_?... no, towards...

...and somebody stood in front of her, breaking her line of sight.

"Marinette, would you be my partner?"

"YES!"

"Great", said Max. "Perhaps we can talk about this at break". He went back to his seat and began reading through the assignment sheet.

Alya was so busy face-palming, she almost missed the moment where Mme Bustier assigned her to work with Chloe.

Almost.


	18. Of The Same Pattern

Marinette leaned back against the sun-warmed wall. Max sat neatly on the cool metal bench, leaning foward a little as if trying to hold his thoughts in by sheer force.

"So", Marinette began, "what sport are you thinking of?"

"I'm not", he replied. "I wanted to ask you about someth.. uh, someone else."

They didn't say anything for a minute.

"You know your friend", Max said. "The one you asked me to help."

"Um, yes? I don't know him that well, but yes?"

"Hmm."

There was another short silence.

Finally Max said "This is very difficult for me. It is complicated when there are people that know different things and are permitted to know only some of the things." He sighed. "I need help. I am asking you for help because you are kind, because people like you, and because you know our friend."

"I'll help you", Marinette said, "though you will have to tell me more about what help you want."

"I know".

There was another short silence. Marinette had learned long ago to simply wait when Max needed it, and this sounded rather important.

"Does he have many friends?" Max asked.

"Uh..." Marinette stopped. She really had no idea about Chat's other life. "I'm not sure", she said eventually.

"That may be important", Max said. "I know myself of two people, possibly three, that he considers friends. This is not counting myself." He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, and looked at the ground. "I think he needs friends now. I don't know much about what happens when people become very upset, but I think that two friends is not enough."

Marinette drew in a breath. "You think he's very upset?" She wondered what on earth Max had found out about her loyal, laughing, dork of a cat that she hadn't ever thought to ask about.

"Not now. But he will be."

That didn't make Marinette feel any better. "Do you want to tell me why?" she asked quietly.

"Sometimes I say things to people that I should not have said, and this may be one of them."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing yet, and this is the problem. I do not know if I would be talking too much or too little. I think..." Max stopped. "I think that I should tell you, so that you can help me decide whether to tell him. " He stopped again. "No", he said decisively. "You can help me decide when to tell him. I do not believe he will fail to learn this thing."

He sat back up and picked up a book from his bag – the same book he'd been reading when Marinette first spoke to him about the ring – and opened to the colour pages in the middle. "Fractals", he said in a boring, lectury tone, "fractals are the same at many scales. The big version is the same but different to the smaller version, and the smaller version replicates the bigger version with its own unique differences, but really when looking at any one version you cannot judge from the details whether it is the bigger or the smaller scale pattern that you are seeing."

A student Marinette hadn't even noticed sit down nearby got up and left, looking bored with what they'd overheard. Max smiled. "It's a pity so many people don't appreciate fractals. They have a lot to show us." He looked around, ensuring that nobody else was near enough to listen, then put his assignment sheet up in front of his face as if reading it out loud to her.

"The problem here is that the older version and younger version look different in the details, but they are of the same pattern."

Marinette looked confused. He sighed.

"Marinette, Hawkmoth is Chat's father. I am certain that Chat does not know this. I have avoided telling him so far because I do not think he will wish to know this, but it is inevitable that he will learn it. I wish your help with when and how."


	19. Trust Is Not My Superpower

_Chat window 44261319_

 _19:26 Charmed23 logged on_

 _19:30 ProbableCause logged on_

 _19:31 Charmed23:_ You got my message

 _19:31 ProbableCause:_ Obviously.

 _19:32 Charmed23:_ Of course. My apologies _._

 _19:33 Charmed23:_ Marinette said you wanted to talk to me

 _19:34 ProbableCause:_ Did she say why?

 _19:34 Charmed23:_ Oui

 _19:35 Charmed23:_ Where do we start?

 _19:36 ProbableCause:_ There are 3 problems

 _19:36 ProbableCause:_ 1\. Can we trust Chat Noir?

 _19:36 Charmed23:_ Oui

 _19:37_ _ProbableCause:_ Do you know him?

 _19:38 Charmed23:_ No

 _19:38 Charmed23:_ But I trust him

 _19:39 ProbableCause:_ Trust is not my superpower

 _19:40 ProbableCause:_ The greater is as the lesser, except in the small details which we do not know

 _19:41 ProbableCause:_ He loves and respects his father

 _19:42 ProbableCause:_ Can we trust him with the knowledge of who Hawkmoth is?

 _19:43 ProbableCause:_ It's not my strength to know things like this about people, but it is Marinette's, and she says you would know him best of all.

 _19:45 Charmed23:_ He never talks about his family. If he had to choose between his father and me, I don't know who he'd choose.

 _19:46 ProbableCause:_ Problem 2. Does he have friends?

 _19:47 ProbableCause:_ I believe he will be hurt by this discovery.

 _19:47 Charmed23:_ He will be. I don't know what friends he has

 _19:48 ProbableCause:_ He has few as a civilian. Two, perhaps three. His father keeps him isolated, and now I cannot say if it is deliberate or accidental.

 _19:49 ProbableCause:_ I believe they will support him without question if asked. But you will have to ask them.

 _19:50 Charmed23:_ Why?

 _19:50 ProbableCause:_ Because he won't

 _19:51 ProbableCause:_ He cannot ask until after he knows

 _19:52 ProbableCause:_ but if friends are the factor that tip the balance then they must be there before

 _19:53 ProbableCause:_ Two plus you may not be enough.

 _19:54 Charmed23:_ I think you are right. I don't know his friends, so let's come back to that. What's problem 3?

 _19:55 ProbableCause:_ The ring

 _19:56 Charmed23:_ We know that

 _19:56 ProbableCause:_ Non

 _19:57 ProbableCause:_ We knew Hawkmoth had the ring

 _19:58 ProbableCause:_ The ring I bought for Chat Noir to fool his father

 _19:59 ProbableCause:_ Which Chat showed his father

 _20:00 ProbableCause:_ And then gave to Hawkmoth

 _20:01 ProbableCause:_ Who is Chat Noir's father.

 _20:04 Charmed23:_ Oh.


	20. Ladyblog News Update 2

THEME FRAME - LADYBLOG NEWS UPDATE

 _Open on Alya's face with usual webcam background._

ALYA: Hi guys. This is the Ladyblogger, Alya Cesaire and I've got one big question for you.

ONSCREEN TEXT OVERLAY: "Where Is Chat Noir?"

ALYA: It's been four days since the fight with Toffee Applicator at the Canal St. Martin and Chat Noir hasn't been seen since. Hawkmoth has created an Akuma each day and Ladybug's fought them alone.

 _Footage plays of the Toffee Applicator fight_

ALYA V/O: Recapping here, watch along. Chat Noir was stuck to a pole. Instead of grabbing Hawkmoth's latest creation, Ladybug threw the blanket over her partner. There were no direct eyewitnesses to this moment other than me filming, but I'm pretty sure that Chat Noir detransformed under that blanket, and you all on the Ladyblog forum sound like you agree. LB certainly got him out of there in a hurry without taking off the blanket.

 _Cut back to a still of Chat Noir under the blanket at the pole. Toffee Applicator is holding his hand._

SMALL WINDOW ON ALYA OPENS IN UPPER RIGHT OF SCREEN

ALYA: This is the last clear shot I have of Chat Noir. Toffee Applicator seems to be taking his ring. Here's my second question for you:

ONSCREEN TEXT OVERLAY: Did Hawkmoth Finally Get What He Wanted?

ALYA: Our favourite Black Cat hasn't been seen since this moment. It looks like he's wearing jeans, but that's all we can say for sure.

ALYA'S WINDOW RESIZES TO FILL SCREEN

THEME FRAME WITH LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE BUTTONS APPLIED

ALYA _(laughing)_ : So! If you know a blonde boy about 170cm tall who likes to wear jeans, maybe you should ask him if he's Chat Noir!

 _She is serious to screen_

ALYA: Let's hope he returns to us soon.


	21. Adrien is bored, or so he says

The stars shone down on two teenagers in hoodies and jeans lying side by side on a rooftop. The roof's peak between them, a facade wall sheltering and shadowing their heads. Entwined hands lying atop the cladding.

 _Two police officers stepped between Ladybug and the oncoming reporters. She gave a grateful smile then bugged out fast. There wasn't enough time to make it home, but one of the rooftop stashes Chat had set up for her was nearby._

"Sure", the boy replied easily. "I can't go anywhere til you change back anyway".

 _She tumbled onto the roof, eyes watering from speed and wind, reaching half blind for the bag of clothes and food._

 _Someone handed it to her._

 _"Chat, you're not supposed to be out where people can see you", she began. Her mind began to catch up with what her eyes weren't seeing - no leather tail, no ears on the back of that blonde head - and she slammed them shut just as he said sheepishly "They can't recognise me if I'm not transformed..."_

"What would you do if Hawkmoth was someone you knew?" the girl said to the boy.

"Hope it wasn't someone I liked?" he replied.

 _She quickly lay down on the roof as her earrings gave a last beep, and heard the sound of her partner doing the same. The roofline sheltered them from each other's eyes, but only just. She tore open a packet of biscuits, then reached over with one hand and patted around on his side of the peak, until he realised what she wanted and grabbed her hand. They lay there together, waiting._

"Chat", she said, a sudden thought striking her, "you only set up this cache two days ago. Why were you here?"

His voice was rueful. "I was bored. Checking caches was something to do."

 _She had so many loose ends, and no ribbon to tie them with. Perhaps this was her chance to change that. "It'll be a few minutes", she said out loud. "Want to talk while we wait?"_

She knew the waiting, the hiding, was hard on her partner. Staying out of sight while she fought went against his spirit, even though it was his suggestion. The caches were his way of being there for her anyway. But there was something else in his manner...

"Were you hoping I'd run into you untransformed?"

Long silence. "Yes."

She listened to him breathe, waiting. "I know you don't want to know", he said tiredly. "But... I always thought I'd tell you first of anyone. It seems unfair that Max knows and you don't."

His voice trailed off, then so quietly she wasn't sure she heard it, he said "I feel so alone".

Her kwami looked at her, and the girl knew they shared a thought. _Max said Hawkmoth kept him isolated. Friends will tip the balance._ The night before as the chat window closed, Tikki had said very seriously "Do you have room in your heart to be the friend he needs you to be?"

"Spots on", the girl whispered. As the glove formed across her hand, she grabbed his fingers tighter, refusing to let go. Closing her eyes tight, she wiggled up onto her knees, facing the stranger she trusted more than anyone, the boy whose face she didn't know, not letting go of that hand. If Hawkmoth didn't give him choices, then she could.

"Do you want me to open my eyes?"

A long silence.

"Yes".

* * *

A/N: Thanks for your patience, everyone. I've been writing chapters out by hand on paper and transcribing them on my phone when I have both time and signal, which isn't often this month. I have so much respect for the people who regularly post from their phones. I really miss my keyboard and 'puter! I took extra care on this chapter too, because, well, it was important ;) it got rewritten from scratch even, which I rarely do. Hope you enjoy it! As always I love reviews, favourites, comments, hearing what you all think is happening. I may not reply this month due to signal etc, but I am reading all of them!


	22. The War For Chat Noir Begins

"Girl, you look wrecked."

This was the worst Alya had seen Marinette, and she'd seen many a bleary stumble into class. This week had been especially bad, and now her best friend was taking it to new levels.

"Did you even sleep last night?"

Marinette just waved at her tiredly and mumbled something that might have been "designing", and might have been just a yawn. She fumbled out a piece of note paper and a pen and began writing furiously. After a minute she folded the paper neatly and, to Alya's surprise, leant forward and threw it onto Chloe's desk.

The blonde looked up, surprised, then made a scoffing sound. She lifted one manicured fingernail and flicked the note sideways onto the floor, unopened.

Marinette sighed, took out another piece of paper and began writing again at the same furious clip. She folded it and threw it onto Chloe's desk again, right in front of the girl.

Chloe looked at it in disdainful surprise. Then she picked it up gingerly, wadded it into a ball and threw it into the wastepaper basket by Mme Mendeliev's desk. It was a perfect shot.

Kim applauded. Marinette groaned, and sank her head onto her arms. The noise drew Mme Mendeliev's attention. She began to say something, then saw Marinette's state. "You look unwell", she said, with a flick of her finger. "Nurse's office". Marinette picked up her books and stumbled out of the room.

She hadn't returned when, shortly before lunch break, Alya's phone buzzed. "Akuma sighting in the Galerie Vivienne", she hissed to herself. She could make that if she sprinted.

But by the time she got there, it was almost over. Ladybug was purifying the butterfly, and a wash of magic set the glowing glass roof of the historic covered arcade to rights.

A flash of blonde hair caught Alya's attention, and she turned swiftly - but it wasn't the Chat Noir she hoped for. Chloe was walking down the arcade as if nothing had happened here, heading for a handbag store that Alya had heard her brag about before.

Ladybug saw her too, and to Alya's surprise turned in mid-flight, dropping down in front of the mayor's daughter. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Chloe seemed to take it quite seriously after the first sentence or two. Which was odd in itself. Ladybug gestured a couple of times, Chloe nodded, ...they shook hands? Then Ladybug continued on her way, the conversation so brief barely anyone had noticed it happened.

Chloe turned, and headed out of the arcade, obviously thinking about something other than shopping. Alya considered chasing after her and questioning her, but given Chloe's general unwillingness to speak to her decided she'd be better off going and getting lunch.

So it took her completely by surprise when, just as lunch was ending, Chloe walked up to her and handed her an envelope.

"Here. The press conference starts at 18 hours. You need to be there twenty minutes before to get your name checked off. It's at our hotel, of course."

When Alya looked at her dumbly, Chloe shoved it at her. "Hurry up and take it, I don't have all day." Alya opened the envelope. Inside was a press pass and a media release giving the details of the press conference. Alya read it in growing shock and delight.

"The French World Cup team? Tonight?"

"I expect a copy of your write-up for our assignment. Make sure it's good." The words were clipped, but Chloe had a smile as she turned and walked away.

Alya squealed to herself, jumping up and down. Then she saw Marinette, finally returning to school, heading straight up the steps heedless of the mayor's daughter crossing her path. Until they came face to face.

Alya watched the two of them stop and look at each other warily. Then Chloe - _Chloe_ \- nodded at Marinette gravely, and Marinette nodded back just as gravely. They walked into class together without a word, as if everything had already been said.

And that was the strangest thing Alya saw that day, even including the press conference.


	23. Your Move

**A/N:** Sorry sorry sorry for the long silence. I admit I've had signal again for almost two weeks now, but I had writer's block on this chapter. The good news though is that I wrote the next several chapters while I was waiting to work out how this one was supposed to look. So there shouldn't be any long breaks for a while :-) Enjoy.

* * *

 _Soooooo bored_

Nino grimaced. His best friend couldn't just be drop-dead gorgeous, he also had to be a super nerd who'd already done his homework. Nino's fingers hesitated over the phone, then he sighed and reached for the next tennis article Sabrina had given him. Only two sentences in, and his phone chirped again.

 _What are you up to?_

- _Homework-_ , he replied. - _Like you should be-_

The article fuzzed in his vision.

 _Done it_

 _-Of course you have. Your dad letting you out?-_

Tennis stars of the future. Concentrate, Nino.

 _Nope. Still boooorrrrrrrrred_

Nino grinned and typed - _Well go plank for a bit-._ It wasn't often he got to pun back at his friend. But right now the dude deserved it.

 _Great idea. You should see the view from up here._

Wait, what? - _Where are you?-_

The reply came quickly. _On my roof._

 _There's so much stuff up here._

 _-How did you get up there?-_

 _I have a window. Imagine the rest._

 _-Dude, I'm trying not to-_

 _Seriously, this is amazing._

Nino put the article aside for a minute. He looked at his phone, and at the button in the sidebar he hoped not to have to press. The roof? That could be bad. Adrien seemed good though, for now. As long as he stayed engaged. Homework was going to have to come second.

- _What can you see?-_

 _All my house, mostly. This place is stupid huge._

 _-You're telling me-_

 _I just ran over six bedrooms and that wasn't half of this wing_

 _-Hey, be careful up there-_

 _Sure._

It was a minute or two before the phone chimed again. Almost enough time to read the first paragraph of the article.

 _Hey whoa, check this out_

 _I had no idea this was here_

A photo came through, showing a gorgeous old Art Deco-style window, circular with multiple panels in a flower-like design.

- _That is seriously cool, dude. Which room is it?-_

 _No idea. I've never seen it before from inside. Or from on the roof before._

 _-You've been on your roof before?-_

 _Pssh yeah, lots of times. Guess I wasn't this bored before._

 _-So what's in there?-_

 _Gonna go look_

Five minutes later, Nino reached the end of the article – and realised he'd got through it without further interruption. He grabbed the phone.

- _Dude. What did you find?-_

There was no answer.

Nino spent five more minutes staring at the phone, willing it to chirp at him. The button in his sidebar seemed to grow, bigger and brighter each time he looked.

Just as his finger hesitated over it, the phone chirped. He quickly swiped the message open.

 _Nothing_

 _-What do you mean, nothing? It's a room, right?-_

 _Nothing special._

Nino stared at the phone. Text messages didn't say much, but he knew his friend. Whatever this was, he was willing to bet that it wasn't "nothing special".

 _-Dude, you OK?-_

A wait not long, but far longer than the question should have needed.

 _Fine. Doing homework._

Yeah, right. In Adrien-parlance, that could mean he was anywhere, doing anything - except homework. Darnit, Adrien was slippery when he wanted to be. Nino swiped a new contact up, someone he'd never expected to have the number of.

- _Heads up-_ , he typed in the new window. - _This might be it-._

Fifteen minutes later, a reply came.

 _Confirmed. My place. Now. Call it._

Nino looked at the phone, at the words hanging there.

"Mum", he called, "I have to go out for a little".

And then he pressed the button.


	24. First

Adrien stumbled slightly as he came into her room. It was very slight, but Chloe still took one look at him and threw her arms around him. "Do you want to talk about it?", she said.

"No", he replied hesitantly. It sounded very much like "Yes".

From over his shoulder, Chloe glanced at her phone, fingers flicking a last reply or whatever she'd been doing, then put the phone in her pocket and hugged him harder. For once there was nothing possessive or posturing about it. Just two friends, one there for the other. He leaned his head on her shoulder and the two of them slowly sank to their knees.

Adrien had no idea how much time had passed. His thoughts tumbled so wildly, screamed at him so loudly, that he never heard the door to Chloe's room open once, twice, thrice. Nor did he notice that the day had faded. So it was quite a surprise when he finally looked up from her shoulder to realise that it was nearly dark, and the room was full of people. Nino was hugging him as well as Chloe. Kim, Ivan and Ricardo, a friend from modelling, all sat close by. More people stood against the windows and by the door, silhouettes in the twilight, holding... butterfly nets?

Butterfly nets.

He looked at Chloe. "What..." He trailed off, and just gestured.

Chloe smiled and shrugged vaguely. It was Nino who answered.

"Ladybug told us Hawkmoth was going to hurt you and you'd need your friends to help".

Hurt you. That was one way of putting it.

Another voice spoke up from near a window - Rose. "Chloe and Marinette organised it. He won't get to you while we're here". It was the fiercest he'd ever heard her sound. Other heads nodded around the room. He picked out Juleka and Nathaniel's silhouettes, another couple of models he knew. Alya and Marinette were near the doors. People he'd never seen working together, who he'd thought were mortal enemies even, were standing beside each other without hesitation. For him.

It was overwhelming. Unexpected.

Reassuring.

Except... their words filtered slowly through his shocky mind. "Ladybug told you?" he asked. That would... could only mean that... she'd known already what he'd just found out.

Another silhouette shifted by the windows, short, the net dipping a little as he turned. The waning light reflected off his glasses. "Yes", Max said. "Ladybug knew".

Their gazes met, Adrien's questioning, Max's distant as usual but also oddly intense. The pieces clicked into place and Adrien understood what Max was leaving out. Max had known. Possibly since the park... but that was days ago. All that time they could have...

He opened his mouth to speak again and closed it, trying to find a way to frame the question without giving anything away. Max forestalled his efforts.

"You were our first priority", he said simply.

And with that, the arms of his friends wrapping around him again, Adrien came undone.


	25. We Offer Him Bait

(A/N: Whoops! If you see this twice, it's because I accidentally uploaded the first draft, not the last draft... should be fixed now.)

* * *

The stars looked down on two teenagers lying on the roof. They relaxed in deckchairs by the hotel pool, eyes on the night sky, watching the stars back.

There was a soft buzz.

 _If you two are ready, I'll swing on by._

The smaller, darker boy shifted his position neatly to read the message, and smiled. The blonde boy startled up from his boneless sprawl and fumbled, unfamiliar phone not accepting his first three swipes. The message brought a smile to his face. He glanced at his friend, who nodded and closed his eyes, then he lay back down, holding a thumbs up to the sky.

A soft whir, an equally soft landing of feet somewhere out of sight. A slight pressure behind Adrien's deckchair, as of someone leaning against the other side of the canvas.

"Hey", she said.

The two boys stared at the stars some more.

"What now?" Adrien said.

There was so, so much else he wanted to say. So much he wanted to know, to ask. All the loose ends, every question why, how, how long, how much.

Instead he let one hand dangle over the edge of the chair, hoping. Fingers found his, and pressed firmly.

It was an answer of sorts, and he felt part of himself ease.

"Now", Max said, "you plan as you would have had it been anyone else".

The three of them looked at the stars.

"Can we capture him directly?" asked the girl behind Adrien's chair.

"Not without proof", Max replied. "Even as heroes of the city, you will need to draw him out for your word to be taken seriously."

They nodded at the logic of this.

"How will we do that?" she asked.

Silence fell, the stars watched.

Eventually the blonde boy spoke, his voice firm and determined.

"We offer him bait".


	26. It's Him I Want To Talk To

"Hey Sabrina".

The caller ID was unfamiliar, but Sabrina expected that. After all she'd bought the burner phone, on Chloe's instructions, and programmed it with all the numbers Marinette and Chloe gave her. They'd both said he had to be able to call any of his friends at any time. Sabrina had been surprised that they agreed on something, let alone that they were working together.

Until that evening, when she'd let herself and Nino into the hotel room, and seen Adrien.

She'd picked up her butterfly net and gone to stand outside Chloe's door, where she could let people in as they arrived. It was only coincidence that she stood where she couldn't see his face anymore.

"Hi", she answered back.

"Sabrina?" her dad called from the family room. "You're supposed to have your phone off during homework time".

"Actually", the familiar male voice on the other end of the phone said, "it's him I want to talk to. Would you mind?"

"Not at all", she said, trying to hide her relief. "Dad, could you come here a minute?" she called out.

When her dad came in she handed him the phone, saying only "It's for you".

"What's up?" he asked her, surprised.

"I don't want to know", she replied. Then she went to raid the fridge. It sounded like her mum was watching the results of tonight's Top Chef elimination, so the tennis essay could wait a little longer.


	27. Looks Like

_-brrrrp-_ "Leave a message!" _-brrrrp-_

Alya hung up, and dialled again. "Come on, girl, please pick up!"

 _-brrrrp-_ "Leave a message!" _-brrrrp-_

"Marinette, you've got to get down to the Seine, NOW!"

 _-brrrrp-_ "Leave a message!" _-brrrrp-_

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, you know I love you and I really have to blog this, please call me".

Alya hung up again, pulled her blog window back onto her phone screen and hit the livestream START button.

"Hey everyone, this is the Ladyblogger, Alya Cesaire, and you WILL NOT BELIEVE today's scoop. Ladybug herself is out walking along the Seine, with no akuma in sight, and it looks like..."

She panned the phone's camera along the sunny riverside, peaceful and pretty, and focused in on the Heroine of Paris, smiling and holding the hand of Paris' most eligible teenage boy.

"...like a date".


	28. Can I book you for later?

Ladybug tried to think about the books, and not Adrien's hand in hers. It would be easier if he didn't keep looking at her. But they had to appear for all intents and purposes like this was a date.

There it was. The d-word. How Marinette had made it through their rooftop planning without freaking out she had no idea. While she'd been working to protect Chat – Adrien – she'd been able to stay focused, concentrate on her partner. But now...

"Do you think so?" he asked her, green eyes searching hers.

It was just playacting. Deep breath.

Wait, he'd said something. She had no idea what. OMGOMGOMG. She was going to look like such an idiot.

"Sorry, I..." _I lost everything in my brain when your eyes met mine._ "...I didn't hear what you said."

He grinned. "Yeah, I'm finding it a bit hard to concentrate too. I'm glad we picked an open area like the Seine for this, because it'll be messy, but there's so many directions to keep an eye out in." He leaned in a little, with an expression that was pure Chat. "I wanted to take you to a fancy tearoom for gateaux on our first date. Because then we'd be eating our cake and having it too."

Ladybug laughed. It was silliness, pure and simple. And it helped her focus, which had no doubt been his intention. She glanced around at the booksellers' stalls that followed the riverbank, the other strolling browsers, many of them also couples of all ages, their eyes lighting up over this treasure find or that.

"Has Alya seen us yet?", she asked.

"I think so, I think I saw her back a ways", he replied, also casually glancing around but carefully keeping one of his fond-smile model-expressions on his face. At least, she thought she'd seen it in a magazine or three, that look that seemed to reach out of the page just for you.

Maybe it was just her. She blinked, twice ( _-Focus, Marinette-)_ and said "Good, because we need her viewers".

He linked his arm through hers, pulling her a tiny bit closer so that their sides accidentally bumped. She _eeped_ and stumbled slightly before catching her balance again. Adrien seemed to smile a little more for real at that. The dancing look in his eyes warned her. He leaned in closer, so that his lips were close to her ear, and said in a teasing whisper "So, My Lady, do you think the akuma's going to be jealous of you, or me?"

She stumbled for real at that, and he caught her gracefully, lifting her back up so that they were standing face to face and FAR too close.

"Of course they'll be jealous of _me_!" she said, flailing for words. "Why wouldn't they? You're kind and sweet and so gorgeous and it's not like I've been dreaming of a date like this for a year..." She ran to a stop, blushing. Adrien had his mouth slightly open in surprise.

"A year?"

She slammed her mouth closed, eyes wide in panic. Adrien's face suddenly lit up.

"You have a _crush_ on me?"

"Yes, no, um, why wouldn't anyone? Um..." She looked around wildly for anything else to talk about, and pointed over his shoulder. "Oh look, akuma!"

Adrien looked. A tornado of books was swirling out of a stall they'd passed, lined with green flame. He looked back at her. "Lucky timing." He grinned. "But I plan to talk about this again later." He bumped her with his hip. "My Lady."

They turned towards the akuma, now visible in the centre of the tornado. Thin, in a ruffled papery drape with words crawling over his skin in bright green. A book in one hand.

"You don't deserve him!" he screeched in a voice that snapped like bookbindings across the canvas stall covers.

"Told you", she muttered under her breath.

The akuma raised his hands, and the swirling books raised with them. Then he flung his arms towards them, and the books started to dive.

Ladybug grabbed Adrien with one arm and swung them to the top of one of the sturdier looking book carts. "Over here, lover boy", she called. The akuma turned towards them. Adrien gave a wave and a flashing wink, and the books paused in mid-air.

Adrien met the akuma's gaze and didn't break it. A purple mask appeared over the jealous boy's face, and Adrien grinned.

"Hey, Hawkmoth", he said, waving his hand casually. "Are you missing something?"

The akuma's gaze focused on Adrien's hand, where a plain silver ring sat snugly on one finger.

A quick squeeze of their hands, for luck. Then Ladybug and Adrien jumped together from the cart, and ran in opposite directions.


	29. Not That Ring

_Not long earlier..._

Gabriel stood unmoving, impassive.

Eventually he lifted his eyebrows slightly. "Go find him then".

Adrien's bodyguard left without another word.

Natalie walked in, silently handed Gabriel a tablet. It showed an Instagram photo with the caption #soenvious #adrien4eva #myboi #cheatingonthecat.

Gabriel smiled. "I wish not to be disturbed." He added as he began to walk away, "Feel free to let Guillarme know which direction to look for my son in."

His lair _echoed_ _. Hummed_. At times like this he appreciated the emotional stability he had compared to many other people. While he was perfectly able to perceive the heightened emotions present, he stood untouched within them where others might have been knocked from their feet.

And oh, the emotions. It seemed nearly everyone in Paris was jealous of Ladybug, Adrien or in some cases both. Could he make more than one akuma at a time, Ladybug would have sealed her own fate the moment she took his son's hand. The variety, the strength of feeling, all so _rich_.

Really, it was a thing of beauty. It was a shame nobody else could ever experience such art.

He shook his head, and allowed an akuma to flutter from his grasp. He didn't try to steer it, other than to ensure it reached Ladybug's vicinity. There were plenty of targets, and she had no Black Cat to help. The boy it landed upon was a very human and ordinary mix of desire and anger – desire for one person, and anger at the inadequacy of the other. Gabriel was pleased to see that it was his son the boy desired. That made things slightly easier.

"Page. You would serve the one you love. I give you the power to break the spine of the one who is in your way."

And so on. His promises were generally meaningless, as they were never remembered. Half the time he didn't even listen to them himself, except to appreciate the small delight of his own wordplay.

The akumatised boy began his attack, but stopped himself before harming Adrien.

Good.

Adrien looked directly into the boy's eyes and through them straight into Hawkmoth's, and gave a smirk Gabriel recognised. "Missing something?", he said, waving his hand. A hand with a _very familiar_ ring.

Not good.

Ladybug and Adrien ran in opposite directions.

Page began to follow Adrien.

"Follow Ladybug!" Hawkmoth ordered, mind racing.

"But she isn't worthy!" Page struggled against Hawkmoth's power. Gabriel thought fast, pieces of the situation sliding up and across his mental sketchpad while his will held Page from running.

They locked into place.

Ah. Of course.

"Of course she isn't. You need to prove that you are more powerful than her." He listened to the emotions pouring off the boy, and smiled. "You need to prove that she doesn't deserve this."

And Page was off after Ladybug, fuelled by righteous ire. Which let Gabriel concentrate on a different problem. He knew he had the ring. Knew his son had one similar. But...

It never hurt to check.

He brought the ring out of its hiding place. It seemed ordinary, small. But the Miraculouses often did. He allowed his transformation to fall and unpinned his brooch, then took a deep breath, braced himself, carefully picked up the ring and put it on his finger.

Nothing happened.

And maybe his bond with Nooroo prevented anything much from resulting, but he had expected that that bond still would have provoked some reaction in and of itself.

This ring was almost definitely NOT the Miraculous.

Which meant...

He called Nathalie.

"Adrien should be on his way to his photoshoot by now. I will also attend."

He considered retransforming to see if Page had had any success, but the Ladyblog live stream showed Ladybug releasing a purified akuma in front of a sobbing boy so he didn't bother. He simply repinned his brooch, adjusted his cravat, and left. There was a ring to be procured.


	30. The Other One Ring

Adrien ran along the river path, phone in one hand, dodging anyone in the way. It sounded like the akuma was following Ladybug, not him, which was helpful. And also the plan. Perhaps Ladybug's luck, perhaps his father was reacting as Max had predicted. Hopefully both.

He ignored the bitter taste in his mouth.

Thumbing the "Send" button on a pre-prepared text, he tucked his phone back into his pocket and ran for a nearby street. There were a lot more people to push through and he slowed down a little. A block along, the crowd suddenly thinned just in front of him, revealing a large, familiar man with a glare that made anyone within six paces move out of his way. Guillarme silently turned and began walking briskly. Adrien fell into the space just behind him and followed to the car. He got in and the door closed behind him.

Stage one was a success. Now, for stage two.

The Arc de Triomphe had far less tourists than usual. The _Gabriel_ photoshoot had claimed most of the roundabout space, and Adrien noted a couple of police officers helping direct people around the security barriers. The production coordinator greeted him with a cheeky smile. "Sorry to interrupt your date, but we're on the clock." She didn't seem too upset, just waved him towards the hair and makeup tent. "Oh, and the shoot plan's been changed. The lifts are out of order so there's no rooftop view sequence unless they can get them fixed before sixteen-o-clock. Ricardo and Emile are doing their downstairs solo shots right now, and once you're ready we'll do the tableau, so start with that outfit." Adrien just nodded.

He was just adjusting his collar when his father entered the dressing tent.

"Let me see you", he ordered.

Adrien automatically snapped into a relaxed straightness, and turned slowly. "I didn't know you were attending this shoot, Father."

"I hadn't thought I'd need to. But complications arose."

"It's a shame about the lifts", Adrien said.

"Yes", his father agreed neutrally. "Your apparel is in order. Your jewellery is inadequate though. Is that ring what they've assigned you?"

"No, father. That's my own ring. You inspected it yourself."

Gabriel considered for a moment. "So I did", he affirmed. "It doesn't suit the shot though. I will hold it for you until you're done."

"No, father. I'll keep it. It's not something I want to get left behind in all the confusion."

"We live in the same house, Adrien. Even if you forgot to get it from me here, it would be at home."

"Home", Adrien mumbled, dropping his eyes to the floor. "How could I forget." Raising his voice back to the volume his father preferred, he said "I don't like to leave it with anyone."

Gabriel raised his eyebrows. "Surely your father is not just anyone?"

Adrien took a slow breath and his shoulders crumpled. "You might as well be for all the time you give me". The pain in his voice made Gabriel take a half-step back, out of line of the doorway – and Adrien ran out of the tent.

He tried not to sob as he ran, but the assistants he shouldered past looked at him curiously anyway. Everything he'd said was needful. He just wished it hadn't also been true. He heard his father running behind him. Their height difference meant Gabriel would catch him quickly over any distance.

Just as well they weren't going far.

Adrien reached the closest column, the one with Victory in the relief, and _leapt_.

He hit the column much lower than he was used to, and harder. Ow. His hands scrambled for purchase on the base, and he pulled himself up so that he balanced next to the relief. A shirt seam ripped as he did so, and he winced guiltily.

 _Focus, Adrien. You've got him out in public, and he doesn't know you know. Now let's see what you can do. Give it everything you've got._

Gabriel reached for Adrien, but even with his height the boy was just out of reach. Only by a little, but it was enough. He stepped back from the column, adjusted his suit minutely. "Adrien, what are you doing? This is entirely inappropriate. You are not even wearing your own clothes! This is not how Gabriel clothes should be treated!"

"Of course not. I shouldn't ever do ANYTHING that's not by your design. Maybe you should make straitjackets."

"Arrête ton cinéma!",* Gabriel called crossly.

"I'm not the one who chased me up here because of a ring!"

"This is not about your ring!"

"Et mon cul c'est du poulet!"*, Adrien spat at him.

It wasn't working. Gabriel was too, too... _stable_. He fell back on head designer too strongly, too well, and the people around him were buying it. Adrien couldn't provoke him enough to reveal himself in any way.

But Chat Noir could.

He reached for handholds in the relief to give himself a little extra height, mentally apologising as he shoved a foot in Napoleon's face. If he transformed now, this was it. Everyone would know his own secret, and there was no going back from that. It was still a gamble.

It was worth it. And he hated secrets anyway.

"Why don't you tell everyone why you _really_ want my ring, Father?"

"What are you talking about?" The look of surprise and concern on Gabriel's face would have made Adrien laugh, if it didn't make him want to cry.

"Why would you hound someone over and over to try and get one ring? There's only one person in the city who's famous for that."

"Don't be absurd, I'm not a hobbit." But there it was - a tiny break in Gabriel's voice, a reference to himself in his words. A crack in the facade. Not just the anger at his son disobeying him, but something he really, really wanted and would do anything for. Adrien tensed. This was it.

"If you want it so badly, then you'll have to come and get it".

He looked his father in the eyes, locking their gazes.

"Claws out".

* * *

 **A/N: This story's about Max. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten him. He's been right here, it's just that nobody happened to be looking at him. Accident? Deliberate? Well... he'll tell you himself next chapter. As in the earlier battle, the confrontation is told from the perspective of all five people.**

 **Five? -counts on fingers- Four. I meant four, honest.**

 *** Translation! The first one is roughly "Stop making a scene!" and the second is "And my butt is chicken" (i.e. That's horsecrap). I originally had two phrases from a list of French parent phrases that had been circulating the Internet lately. Thank you so much to the reader who told me that the one I first used that translates roughly as "Eat carrots and you'll be more reasonable" didn't mean "Stop being so emotional" but rather "Eat your carrots!". Oops! Apparently the phrase that Adrien uses is a little OOC for him because it's very impolite and he is nicer than that. But I've left it in for now.**


	31. Nobody Cared to Notice

The garage doors slid up. Max stepped in front of the limo and held up a card, waiting. Guillarme looked at him, looked at the message. Then he nodded, and the front passenger door clicked open. Max near-sprinted around the car and hopped in.

"Thank you", he said, handing the card over. On the side that faced the security cameras it said "I can take you to Adrien". On the other side, Adrien had hand-written and signed "Trust Max".

Guillarme looked carefully at Max after reading that. Max shrugged. "He's down at the Seine with Ladybug. I have mapped his most likely route and points of exit." He showed the driver a map on his tablet. "I recommend you park here. He will text you to confirm which way he's heading out. "

Guillarme's phone dinged. He checked it, then compared it with Max's map. He said nothing more, just put the car into gear and drove. Max quickly got his seatbelt on.

Just as they reached the rendevous point, Guillarme's phone dinged again. He got out of the car and began working his way through the crowd towards the location Adrien had just sent him. Max got out as well and stood beside the car, waiting, looking on his tablet. He read a text from Marinette and forwarded it. The Ladyblog showed the akuma defeated so Hawkmoth would be unlikely to delay following the ring. A text from Officer Raincomprix confirmed that the Arc de Triomphe was as ready as they could make it without being obvious. The lifts were deactivated, the museum staff evacuated apart from one volunteer. The police were in position and redirecting curious tourists.

As Adrien reached the car Max opened the back door for him, then closed it for him and got back in the front himself. Adrien buzzed his driver. "To the photoshoot, please." Guillarme glanced at Max. Max nodded, and they drove.

The photoshoot was a thing of organised madness. Max found it quite uncomfortable. He stayed in Guillarme's wake as the big man escorted Adrien to the production coordinator, and nobody paid him any mind. Adrien had told Max that as long as he appeared to be busy and part of things everyone would think of him as "somebody else's problem". Max had been unsure how nobody would care to notice him if they didn't have to, but it seemed Adrien was quite right.

That made things a little easier. As Adrien went off to a tent that looked to Max just like the others, Max simply stepped aside a little and walked toward a stack of equipment. He picked up a black diffuser and began to walk in the direction of the Arc. It didn't seem to matter which way he walked, as long as he kept walking nobody looked twice at him. He needed to watch his tablet, but most people were glancing at phones or tablets as they walked, so that didn't stand out.

Soon enough a ripple passed through the busy chaos, as Gabriel Agreste himself arrived on location.

Max thumbed a pre-arranged text.

 _Ready, steady..._

The tall man went first to the production coordinator and then straight to the dressing tent where Adrien was changing, staff melting out of his way as he strode.

A grey window on his tablet lit up with a video feed. Plagg's camera was active and transmitting to the tablet. Max could see Gabriel and Adrien arguing over something. Gabriel gestured at the ring. Adrien held it to himself.

Max suddenly realised he'd stopped walking as he looked at the feed. He looked around quickly, but it was too late. He'd been noticed. A girl with a camera came up to him and, pointing at the diffuser he still held, said imperiously "Come help trial the colour balance on the column".

Max followed her.

The girl set up her camera on a tripod and pulled out a tablet of her own, putting an earpiece on, tapping some buttons and frowning at the result. Max put his own earphone in so he could hear the conversation on the feed.

Actually, no, he could hear it for real. That was Adrien running. He leapt straight onto the column in front of them, and the video feed on Max's tablet switched to the camera they'd just set up. Adrien's words and Gabriel's replies were perfectly clear in the earpiece.

And it was worrying.

Max had spent some time with Adrien going over his father's verbal habits. Like many people who felt born to wield power over others, Gabriel kept conversational battle focus on the person he was speaking to. There were no "I" sentences, only "You" sentences. Feelings, especially. Everything was their fault, or related back to them. As long as Gabriel felt he was perfectly in charge and above Adrien's stings and barbs, he would only say things about Adrien. If he ever said anything about himself, even the slightest or tiniest of defences, they'd know they had him.

They didn't have him.

Max watched Adrien try to sting harder, and harder, with no response upon his father's face.

That alone told Max a great deal about Adrien's home life.

And then, finally, the words they'd been waiting for. "I am not a hobbit" came loud and clear. Hawkmoth was past the point of staying in control, of being able to back down.

Max pressed the "begin broadcast" button on his tablet, and their server network began sending the delayed feed citywide.


	32. Two minutes and forty five seconds ago

District by district, people's phones chimed. They pulled them out to see who was calling, and found a video feed on their screen. A very recognisable boy and his famous reclusive father, inside an anonymous white tent. At the photoshoot itself, people looked around them in puzzlement and recognition, before double-taking between the screen and the column of the Arc de Triomphe, where Adrien clung.

And then he had all their attention, as a wave of green light flashed over him, and suddenly one of the superheroes of Paris was in front of them. He waved his hand at his father, and smirked.

Gabriel Agreste made a sound of rage that few at the shoot remembered hearing. Suddenly a blast of purple and silver light shot out from around him. White butterflies seemed to come from nowhere to land on him.

The girl next to Max nudged his arm. He held up his black diffuser obediently, shadowing the white on white butterflies so that the details popped.

And then Hawkmoth stood in front of them.

Well, **that** probably counted as sufficient proof. And it would hit the phone of everyone in Paris in... Max checked his watch. Two minutes and forty two seconds... forty one...

Chat Noir wasted no further time. He began springing back and forth between the columns, bouncing his way up to the top of the Arc. A well-aimed baton let him cartwheel over the top, landing on the roof terrace.

Hawkmoth raised a hand, and a cloud of butterflies seemed to lift him. Slowly, slowly he rose after his son, inevitable, inescapable.

Max returned his attention to his tablet, now showing the feed from Marinette's phone left on the terrace. A small second window below showed the delayed feed as it was transmitted.

Chat Noir stood at one end of the terrace, facing Hawkmoth in the middle. He took one step towards his father, who lifted his cane and allowed the sheath to fall from the sword inside.

"You WILL give me your Miraculous". The tone left no room for disobedience.

"No, he won't". Ladybug landed behind Hawkmoth. Chat Noir's shoulders straightened, and his tail perked up with relief then lashed with anger.

And they fought. Hawkmoth was fast with his sword. Chat Noir's fencing training let him block most strikes with his baton, and his anger lent him speed to match his father. Ladybug threw her yoyo low over and over, attempting to trip Hawkmoth up. She never did – his footing was immaculate – but it was an effective distraction. They'd realised they didn't know how much time or concentration it took him to akumatise someone – but how ever much it was, they weren't going to give it to him.

He was going to have to fight this battle himself.

And inevitably, inescapably, Ladybug and Chat Noir closed in on him. His strikes slowly shifted from space-controlling attacks to close-in defensive moves, his feet moving in smaller circles.

Until finally Ladybug and Chat Noir, without even speaking to each other, switched moves. Ladybug's yoyo wrapped itself around Hawkmoth's sword hand. And Chat Noir's baton was suddenly between Hawkmoth's feet.

Hawkmoth mis-stepped, and tumbled. The yoyo wrapped around the rest of his body as he fell, pinning his arms.

Chat Noir and Ladybug smiled at each other, and still without saying anything, stepped forward together. They reached out a hand each, and together pulled Hawkmoth's brooch from his suit. Purple light swept past them, and Gabriel Agreste knelt crumpled at their feet.

"Bravo! Bravo!"

Officer Raincomprix came up from the stairwell, applauding. As he handcuffed Gabriel, he said "Thank you, Ladybug and Chat Noir. This has been a long time coming."

"It wasn't just us", Chat Noir began.

"I know. Thank goodness for Max."

Down below, Max frantically pressed the "End broadcast" button. But it was too late. The girl shrugged at him. "Everyone will see him arrested. That's the main thing. We'll help you with any fallout."

"I'll take your word for it", he replied. "Thanks for your expertise, Alya."

"Any time", she grinned at him. "You got me a front-row seat to the scoop of the century, even if it did come at the cost of the password to my Ladyblog server."

"You knew?"

"Marinette's not as subtle as she thinks she is when she's trying to get something out of you."

Max just nodded. He'd have to take her word on that, too.

Up on the terrace, Ladybug shook Officer Raincomprix's hand, and then bugged out. Chat Noir walked with Raincomprix, his officers and their prisoner down into the museum inside the Arc de Triomphe's vault. Marinette was waiting there with the museum staff member who'd volunteered to stay in case they were needed, a small old Chinese man who wore a Hawaiian shirt under his official museum vest. Chat thanked him, shaking his hand, then handed Marinette's phone back to her. "Thank you", he said. "I still think you should have waited further away".

"If I'd done that, I might have tripped falling down the stairs" she giggled. "This was the safest place I could be".

Chat's baton buzzed, as did Marinette's phone. It was a text from Max.

 _One minute left._

"One minute until the feed ends and people start noticing real life again, Princess."

"Let me walk you down the stairs, Adrien Noir".

"I'd appreciate the company". It wasn't a lie. His world had upended itself yet again, all the same but never again the same. He was outed, permanently.

But he could get used to that name.

"I see you're not stuttering."

"It's a long story."

Chat Noir grabbed Marinette and baton-dropped them both down the fire stairs as quickly as he could. They emerged from the door in the column base, and slipped around to where Max and Alya were waiting. Everyone else was glued to their phones and tablets, watching the final battle.

"Max, you're a genius", Alya said quietly as they all drifted towards a tent. Guillarme appeared out of nowhere, and gestured them to follow. "You managed to get that feed onto every phone in Paris. I don't know any programmer who could have done that."

The four of them slipped into Adrien's car and out of sight just as the feed ended. As the police appeared out of the stairwell with Gabriel bound and cuffed, to the sound of cheers and camera flashes, the silver car drove away unnoticed.

Max smiled and sent a text. Without raising his eyes from the screen he said "It wasn't just me, or even mostly me. I had some help."

* * *

 **A/N: I meant five.**


	33. Dear Diary

**A/N: Meet number 5.**

* * *

Dear Diary

I tried scripting today. I really liked it. I wanted to know about making my own apps, so I downloaded and installed a free Python user environment. There were thirteen "classes" that came with it. I did them all in about three hours. It just made so much sense! But then I got in trouble because I'd been supposed to be cutting fudge squares once it was set, and I completely forgot. The shop counter ran out of fudge! We've never done that. You should have seen Papa's face :-(

* * *

Dear Diary

I've decided I want to be a programmer. Actually I kindof already am. I started writing stuff to see what I could do, and it's just amazing. I managed to get mathematical patterns drawn across my screen and set it up as a screensaver. Then I thought they should move, and I didn't know how to do that but I searched online and there were some pretty good explanations of how the maths worked. It's much more interesting than the maths we're doing in school which is ALL THE YAWN and so last year. And by last year I mean I learnt it three years ago but apparently nobody else did SO HERE WE ARE. I haven't quite got my head around how you do apps that talk to each other, like chat or messenger, but there's an old book I found at the library that describes networking. It's REALLY old, at least fifteen years so the examples are so old-school, like nobody uses that sort of program anymore. But it explains how the Internet talks to itself really well and that hasn't changed that much.

Gotta go, we're making a big order of marshmallows in four different flavours, so it's all hands on deck for this one. I wish I liked marshmallows.

* * *

Dear Diary

I am SO MAD. I'm crying and I can't stop. I asked Mama and Papa if I could have the money to do the coding course I want to do. I even showed them the stuff I'd already written. They told me I was wasting my time, they weren't paying for something I could do at school (but we don't because this is way past what school lets you do!) and that I needed to stop staring at a screen and help in the shop more. I said I'd be able to bring in extra money if I could write and sell apps, and Papa called me a bunch of things I don't want to repeat and took my phone away. Mama said if I stirred the toffee in the state I was in I'd curdle it, so I'd better go to my room until I ca

* * *

Dear Diary

This afternoon I woke up in a park. I don't know how I got there. I was writing in this diary and then I was there, with nothing between. Ladybug was standing in front of me looking into my eyes when I woke up, and there's only one thing that can mean. I was SO PANIC! She was really nice about it though and let me help fix things. That was so AWESOME! except, I wish there wasn't anything to fix.

I still feel really weird. A policewoman gave me a card, that has a phone number to ring if you've been akumatised and need to talk about it. I don't know what I'd say though. It's hard to say sorry for things you can't even remember happening. I wish I could.

* * *

Dear Diary

I know nobody remembers what happens when they're akumatised. Everyone says that. But I think maybe the forgetting didn't quite work on me the same way. At first I was pretty confused and couldn't make sense of it. But over the last couple of days I feel like I can almost touch the memories, like they're just **there**. I watched news reports because I wanted to know what I'd done, and they were wrong, like all the right things but from the wrong angle. Like they should have been from my point of view. The shop is all stocked up this afternoon and we've got no orders. Papa's sad, he thinks people are scared to come here after I got akumatised, but Mama thinks it'll blow over soon enough. I'm just glad I can have an afternoon to myself. I'm going to go back to the park I woke up in, and see if I can remember anything.

* * *

Dear Diary

I've been back to the park three times now. Each time I remember a little more. Mostly I remember the feeling of how angry I was. I didn't know I could be that angry.

The park is nice though, and I feel calm when I'm there. Which is good, because I'm a little worried. Each time I've gone there there's been this boy there. Short, with glasses. I didn't really notice him the first time, he was sitting on a different bench, not seeming to pay me any attention and I was concentrating on remembering. But is it weird that he's been there every time? Does he have a home to go to? He looks pretty normal.

* * *

Dear Diary

OMG You won't believe this. I talked to the boy, or rather he talked to me. He said his name was Max, and he loved my coding. 3 3 3 MY CODING! I was a bit embarrassed at first because the only way he could have seen my work was when I was akumatised. He said his phone was fine though. I asked him why, when I managed to connect to everyone else's. He showed me how he has his own special OS that can talk to Android and iPhone apps but it captures everything incoming and holds it in a safe space first. He said he'd show me how to do that if I showed him some of my other work! He really wanted to see what I could do BECAUSE HE THOUGHT I WAS A GREAT PROGRAMMER! OMG. I said he could come back to my house and have a look.

My parents were in such a FLAP! It's like they thought I'd never bring a boy home or something, I don't know. And then they were all "Leave the door open, sweetie" and I'm like "really? We're just talking about coding". Max is as interested in it as I am so like what else were we going to do? We talked for a bit then I had to go downstairs and work on some violet drops. He was interested in how I measure the proportions and control the temperatures so exactly. I don't even think about it, even though Mama and Papa say that's something I do really well. When my friends come over they usually leave if I have to make candy because I hate talking while I'm making them, but he didn't mind that I didn't say anything for ages and he didn't try and talk at me either. When I was done, he offered a trade. He'd help me with making sweets, if I would help him with a program he had to write. He thought I would do it better than him! He's going to come over tomorrow, and help me with the lemon drops. Papa seemed pleased.

* * *

 **A/N: One final chapter left (plus a bonus or two).**


	34. Dear Ladyblog Readers

Dear Ladyblog readers,

As Officer Raincomprix told you at the press conference, I am not very comfortable with lots of people I don't know all trying to talk to me. Ladybug and Chat Noir suggested I write down what happened so you could read it instead of asking me things, and Alya has been kindly posting it for me as I finish each section.

It hasn't been easy to write this. There was so much that happened, and I didn't always know why some things happened. Ladybug and Chat Noir helped me organise it. They said I should write down everything I thought was important, and not write anything that wasn't important. So that's what I've tried to do. Thank you for being patient while I get to each thing in order.

It was also hard with there being some things that are secrets from some people but not others. Everybody knows now that Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir, so he said I could include that in the story. He is proud of his role in helping to save Paris. Everybody knows my name too, and Ladybug said it was important that I remind you all that I am not a public figure and need to be left alone. So she helped me take out a lot of things about me from the story. Alya has edited it for me as well. Thank you both for your help.

Finally, thank you to all of Alya's readers for reading my recount of recent events. I was very glad to be of assistance.

Sincerely, Max.

P.S. No, I don't know who Ladybug is.

* * *

 **A/N: And done! Well, except for a bonus chapter that I've had sitting waiting here for you since June, which I'll post in the next couple of days (and I think I've got a second bonus chapter too now, I've been working on this story a while!). Thanks for coming along on this ride with me, and seeing where we ended up! I'm sorry it took a long time, usually my stories are completed a lot more quickly but then I guess this is also the longest story I've done on here so... yeah. I've been trying to reply to everyone's review, if I missed anyone I'm sorry, and if you've posted a question that needs answering I'll try and do so with the bonus chapters.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	35. Bonus: Let's Not Talk About Friday

**A/N: Bonus chapter! The thing about writing a Max-centred story is there's a lot of stuff that he leaves out. Sometimes I snuck it in anyway, sometimes I cut furiously to stay short and sweet. But just because I didn't post it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Here's a side trip from back around Chapter 11...**

* * *

 _It had been a long week. They lay on the rooftop together, watching the stars."Let's not talk about Friday", she said._

 _"Deal", he replied._

In hindsight, of all the stalls set up along the lane, Adrien was really glad he and Max had been looking at one selling pop culture merchandise. When music they hadn't even consciously heard yet started their limbs twitching and feet tapping, he grabbed a Wonder Woman mask. Max grabbed a wig and half-cape. As they burst into song along with everyone else, he slipped the mask on and stumbled into Max, knocking them both down against the cloth covering the merchandise table. It was harder to get the wig and cape on him with the movements of the mob dance controlling their arms and feet, but between his arm waves and Max's and the music pulling them up again they eventually got them both on, hiding his face and identity from the crowd. And then – there was nothing to do but dance down the lane. And hope Ladybug wasn't in the mob too.

* * *

Marinette, Nino and Alya were at the other end of the laneway fair. Alya _miiiight_ have had plans to see if she could drop Marinette next to Adrien and make a run for it with Nino. But he was in a mix-trance, wrapped in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, listening to beats and muttering to himself about rhythms and phasing. She knew she couldn't get his attention fast enough. She'd thought about ripping the headphones off him, but the music in the laneway was pretty catchy. It even had her feet tapping. It would probably annoy him no end if she broke into his concentration with this earworm playing. She started to sway and clap. The music just made her want to burst into song.

So she did... just as she realised everyone else was singing too, and swaying in the same time. Then they began to sashay. One-two-three UP one-back, turn and clap, shimmy left, shake right, turn forward. Repeat.

Uh-oh.

The only person unaffected was Nino, still staring into some inner space with his lips moving. She grabbed his shirt and tugged as she sashayed past.

* * *

Just as Marinette's feet started to tap, her purse had bumped her. Hard. She stepped back away from Alya and just around the corner of a stall. It was suddenly quieter behind the tent wall. Tikki stuck her head out of the purse. "You have to transform now and call for a Lucky Charm!" she said urgently.

"What is it, Tikki?"

The little sprite looked at Marinette's foot, which had stopped tapping but was just starting to twitch again. Marinette followed her gaze. "No time! Just do it!", Tikki said.

"Spots on!"

Ladybug looked around her. Nothing seemed wrong as yet, though the noise of the fair was beginning to get to her a bit. She looked at her feet again. They were starting to tap in time with that music. She tried to hold still... and realised she couldn't.

"Lucky Charm!"

A pair of earplugs fell into her hand. Well, that was unusually obvious. She put them in, blocking out the sound, and peeked back around the tent.

Everyone was dancing. It was like a giant flash mob, except she was sure nobody here had been practicing these moves off a Youtube video. Far ahead she saw a sparkly suit leading the parade of dancers. She had five minutes, and no Lucky Charm to stop him. It wouldn't be too hard with Chat Noir... she called his baton. No answer – he wasn't transformed.

Well.

That made it harder. If he'd been anywhere in earshot, he was now in the mob and, judging by the lips she saw moving, singing loudly along with anyone else. No way to transform if you can't get the words out. That had almost been her - thank goodness for Tikki's warning. If Chat hadn't been nearby, he might get to transform first, but he'd still get stuck in the mob as soon as he got within earshot. She ran along beside the dancers for a few paces to get some speed, swung her yoyo and leapt to one of the roofs aside the lane to scope out the situation.

* * *

Nino looked at his girlfriend, dancing like a maniac, eyes only on him. He shook his head. "No babe, I'm not dancing."

Then Ladybug swung by within metres of them, and Alya didn't do anything but keep dancing and singing. There was a faint twitch as if she wanted to reach for her phone, but her arms kept moving in the same pattern.

Oh.

Really, there was only one thing a guy could do in this situation.

He looked Alya in the eyes and said "Go get the story, babe". Then he took off his headphones and dropped them over his girlfriend's head. She touched his face for just a moment, then grabbed her phone and ran after Ladybug.

To his relief, the music was actually pretty catchy.

* * *

From the roof Ladybug could see the crowd. It ebbed and flowed around someone in a sparkly suit. She stayed hidden behind a frontage wall, not wanting to draw attention until she had to. Her earrings beeped. Four minutes.

Then she noticed something in the crowd. Or rather, someone. Max. He hadn't noticed her yet, thankfully. He was dancing next to someone taller wearing cheap Wonder Woman cosplay, face mask and all.

Someone... blonde, a familiar height, with a sense of groove and a wish to hide their face. She sucked in a breath. Chat Noir's job was to keep an eye on Max's location when an akuma hit. If...

Her earrings beeped again. She was going to have to trust that she was lucky.

She leapt out from the roof and landed behind Max and the Wonder Woman. Neither of them turned, but just continued with their moves. If she was wrong, she'd detransform in the middle of this crowd.

She had to be right.

In one swift move she took the earplugs out of her ears and jammed them into her partners'. As the music started her arms moving in sequence with everyone else, the Wonder Woman in front of her faltered. They touched their ears, glanced side to side very quickly, turned and made eye contact with her for just a moment and then... transformed. The familiar black suit faded over his body, replacing the Wonder Woman cape (which hadn't looked half bad on him, actually). She smiled. He'd have her back as well as his. His green eyes became greener, outlined in black as the transformation reached his face. Any moment now he'd grab his baton and lift them both away...

...and then his arms joined in the pattern, his hips swung him around to face the same direction as everyone else, and he sashayed. Oh _sugar._

Adrien's mouth was singing the same catchy words as he had been before. But inside his head the words were more like "PLAGG! YOU DIDN'T PRESERVE THE EARPLUGS WHEN YOU TRANSFORMED MY CLOTHES!"

The two of them danced with hundreds, Ladybug aware that her Miraculous was still counting down. She didn't have any ideas. Any minute now Hawkmoth or his villain were going to realise they had two star dancers in the mob... oh wait. Yep. He had. Now that she could hear the words, she realised they were singing something about Disco-very. Probably his akuma name. Out of habit, as Disco-whatever started grooving through the dancers towards them, she looked for where the akuma could be hiding. Most likely in the mirror-ball keychain dangling from his belt, though she supposed it could be in one of his fake eyelashes if Hawkmoth was feeling particularly difficult today. Maybe if he came up at just the right moment she could shove a finger in his eye as she waved her arms, and try and grab it. Or grab the keychain while doing the floss. Or...

And then, something lucky happened.

* * *

Alya was filming from the sidelines. She saw Chat Noir's transformation from Wonder Woman to Wonder Cat (she was totally going to put up a clip on her blog later with that title). She saw the heroes begin dancing again, and after watching for almost a minute realised they weren't just pretending to go along with it. She also saw the moment when Discovery realised that the Miraculouses were within his reach.

She muttered under her breath "You owe me an interview for this", and started running.

Barely three steps ahead, she shoved the last person between them out of the way and the earphones onto Ladybug's head. The hero in spots slung an arm around Chat Noir and yoyo'd out of reach. She almost dropped her partner as he kept trying to dance, but Alya saw it was enough to get them away from Discovery.

A few rooftops away, Ladybug dropped Chat Noir into an alley. Literally dropped – he was still trying to dance and she couldn't keep a grip on him. But the buildings around him were high, concrete, sound-muffling and she crossed her fingers that he'd be out of earshot when he landed. She went one building over and dropped, transformation expiring when she was still two metres above the ground.

"Ow".

"Yeah", Tikki replied. "We owe Alya".

"I bet these headphones are Nino's, actually", Marinette said. "We owe both of them. But I guess we start with a cookie first."

"Yay!"

"Bug?" Chat's voice called from around the corner.

"EEEP! Don't look!" she squeaked.

"I'm not transformed either", he called back. "Though you can look if you want". His voice was flirtatious. "I make a really good Wonder Woman." She laughed, and he continued, "I just thought I'd better give you your earplugs back. They were your Lucky Charm, right?"

"Yeah. I take it they got caught in the transformation?"

"Yeah, my kwami apologises for that. He was concentrating on the r... the other thing."

"Ah."

"Anyway, I'll put them right here, and transform again. Let me know when you're ready."

About three minutes later, Ladybug walked out of the alley – and nearly collapsed laughing.

"What?" Chat Noir asked, innocently.

Ladybug looked at the familiar leather suit, the long tail, the green eyes, the black mask, the long black hair with attached fake tiara.

Had he taken it off before transforming and put it back on afterwards? Or was his notoriously obstreperous kwami having a bit of fun at his expense? She honestly couldn't tell.

"Nothing", she said, handing him the headphones and taking the earplugs he held out. "Let's work out how we're going to get this guy".


	36. Bonus 2: How it was put together

**A/N: First, some answers to** **questions and comments!**

No, Max doesn't get a girlfriend. Women aren't rewards for heroes (even though we get told that so often it's easy to believe that's what we're seeing). The girl who became Toffee Applicator is Max's friend, they're working together on stuff they both love so yes it's possible something will come of that eventually but it doesn't have to. That friendship is going to let both of them become much better and more effective people so wherever it goes, they'll both be glad for it.

It was accidental on my part and deliberate on Max's (and editor Alya's) part that we never found out her name.

I've had my French corrected for the bit where Gabriel and Adrien are yelling at each other. After this bonus chapter goes up I'm going to go back and fix that because apparently what Gabriel says in context isn't "don't be so emotional" but "eat your carrots". Thank you to Ordalie Gwynfyd for suggesting something better to put there! Apparently Adrien's reply is a bit OOC, but I'm going to leave it because at that point he's really trying to bait his father so... forgive me.

Yes, Max is on the spectrum in this story. I studied with many people like Max in one way or another while I was at uni, and I've worked with a few too. It's a spectrum, and most people on it are neither idiots nor savants. They just need a little help from the world around them to be able to deal with the nonsense we've made of society and life. All this unnecessary mental noise, all these rules and patterns that seem so *arbitrary* some times. And then you grow up and people stop asking you what your favourite dinosaur is. (Mine is _Malurus splendens_.)

Ladybug didn't say much to Chloe. Only that Adrien was going to need her, and as many others as she could get. Which meant he would need her getting along with everyone else to make that happen. Also that Marinette would help get people lined up and had agreed to leave the hating til after Chloe'd helped save Adrien.

Yessssss... the chapters were often pretty short! They were meant to break off at slightly uncomfortable points and not quite follow the "rules" about when something was done, because Max was telling the story. I had to break my own rule about chapter length in order to write the battle scenes and that was weird.

Who was number 5 in the last battle? Well, it was both Max's coding friend, and Alya. That role was supposed to be played by one person but I split it because I decided I wanted Alya there onsite and the friend controlling the feed software offsite. But I'd already said 5, not 6. Oops. The perils of posting a story chapter by chapter!

I never did decide whether it was better if Max asked Marinette or Marinette asked Max. But I loved reading all your reasons for each!

 **Now, the bonus! This bonus chapter's a bit different. I had a lot of comments about this story being unusual - and yes it is, in lots of ways. I thought some of you might like to see the way a chapter was planned out before being written. Because I was writing fast, a lot of chapters didn't have much in the way of notes - maybe a sentence or two, a key line that had to be included, a headline saying whose POV it was. But certain chapters needed to be put together a lot more carefully. Such as chapter 30, when Adrien revealed himself to the world in order to force Hawkmoth's reveal. I'm not normally much of a planner, but there's always at least a clear picture of where a chapter's going before I start typing. (I type at the speed I think, so I try not to think too slowly. Funny story: this is partly because I've worn the letters off my keyboard, so I have to type fast. If I type slow I start looking to see where to put my fingers and then I can't work out how to type anything at all!) This chapter had a lot more detail than most in order to make sure it fit with the other viewpoints - and also because when I started making the notes, I only knew what had to happen but still had no idea where or how it was going to. So this is me working all that out. Once the notes got to this stage, I slept on them, and then got up the next morning and wrote it.**

* * *

Viewpoint 4: Adrien, confronting his father. Reveals himself publically as Chat Noir. (The modelling gig is somewhere obvious and public, so he has to draw his father out a bit)

Adrien runs to where he meets the bodyguard.

They drive to the photoshoot.

Gabriel arrives, enters the dressing tent.

Adrien and Gabriel confront each other. Adrien plays the heartbroken teenager, Gabriel tries not to admit why he wants the ring.

Adrien runs from the tent, climbs. Gabriel tries to talk him down. Adrien transforms both to prove that he really does have the Miraculous but also so that he can climb higher, and dares his father to come after him.

Gabriel attempts to climb as well, but finds it just as unclimbable as his civilian son did. At this point Gabriel knows that if he has both Adrien and the miraculous, he can get Ladybug's earrings, so he goes for the final risk. He transforms, and summons butterflies to lift him.

Had thought to end this one on Adrien's "Claws out", but it might need to go slightly longer, not sure where to fit in Max yet. Claws Out is the best ending point in terms of tension. Adrien thinks through what he wants, (he wants his father to transform and provide proof, and he himself needs to get higher, more inaccessible to drive his father further) has clarity of feeling (he will give up his own secret identity for this), baits his father once more, says "Claws Out". Ending on Hawkmoth/Gabe's transformation is the other option, but this is an Adrien-centric chapter so maybe should stick on him and his identity sacrifice? Either that or on his feelings when he sees his father transform to come after him – but we've already sort of had his breakdown, and this is a Max story so we can't get into detail on Adrien's feelings anyway. Usually I've been ending the chapters on the first break rather than on the reaction to the break or a second break, back with the thing of leaving a lot of stuff off-screen. So Claws Out would be more consistent with the rest of the story. It depends where I want to have Gabriel commit to the trap, I guess.

This chapter will be called The Other One Ring and should probably have a line related to Tolkien geekdom in there. BC Adrien and Gabriel both geeks in their own way, and too much punsters to miss the opportunity. Original plan back as of chapter 2 was to have Adrien telling his dad he'd disown him for a "one ring" pun, but now maybe I might just let the pun happen.

Note: the Arc de Triomphe is in the centre of a large roundabout. So happenings there will be visible from a distance but pedestrians can't run to see what's going on (traffic might stop though!) People reach the Arc through two pedestrian underpasses. Raincomprix can control those and the traffic, might have a reference in the Max chapter to him being given the go. There's a lift to the museum inside the top of the arch, and then 46 steps to a lookout terrace at the top of the arch. Wikipedia has the details of the sculptures Adrien will climb. Probably better to have him stand on Napoleon's head rather than grab the boob of Victory.

A/N: This story's about Max. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten him. He's been right here, it's just that nobody happened to be looking at him. Accident? Deliberate? Well... he'll tell you himself next chapter. As in the last battle, the confrontation is told from the perspective of all five people.

Five? -counts on fingers- Four. I meant four, honest.


End file.
